NorhtecGeckoEdubook
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Norhtec's $199 Gecko EduBook, and its AA batteries, now available
You thought it wouldn't happen; you thought it couldn't be true. A $199 netbook that runs on the same batteries your fully-motorized LEGO AT-AT eats for breakfast? That's right, the updated Gecko EduBook we showed you last month is now available for purchase -- on two conditions. First: that you don't mind giving your credit card number to someone in Thailand. Second: that you don't do a spit-take when you're quoted a shipping fee. The laptop is indeed selling to individuals for a nickle less than $200, but if you're looking to outfit the entire class of 2017 with a fleet of these you can get that price way down to $160. A bargain, for sure, but just how well is that Xcore86 system on a chip going to cope with Windows XP, and who's the brave soul willing to risk a couple Benjamins (plus s&h) to find out?[Via Digital Home Thoughts]
Next Gecko netbook to have bigger screen, AA power, $200 price?
NorhTec's last attempt at a super-cheap laptop hasn't exactly rocked many peoples' boats -- with its 7-inch display surrounded by the king of all bezels and a $300 price, you don't have to spend much more to get a lot more netbook. Word on the 'net is, though, that there's a new Gecko EduBook on the way, set for debut at Computex and moving up to a netbook-standard 8.9-inch, 1024 x 768 600 LED-backlit screen while also dropping to a sub-$200 price point. That's possible thanks to a new architecture based on an Xcore86 system on a chip, offering a 1GHz processor and power consumption of just 1.2 watts, equating to four hours of battery life on eight NiMH AA batteries or six hours if Li-on cells are used. Full specs are at the read link, a demonstration video below, and, while this little lappy is still far from a powerhouse, it certainly looks a lot more appealing than its predecessor -- and some other low-cost alternatives.Update: Michael Barnes from NorhTech wrote in to clarify the history of these and the pricing a bit. The EduBook is completely modular and if you happen to be a small country looking to make a large order you can configure these for well under $150, but for the rest of us individual units should be available in the $195 range. Additionally, more models are on the way, including a 10-inch netbook and even a nettop.[Warning: PDF read link]
