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Brazilian exhibition shows off low-cost laptop prototypes of old
Hard to believe it's been over two years since we wrapped our noodles around the Intel Eduwise and the OLPC XO, and while the average Atom-powered netbook has practically swiped the limelight, the low-cost laptop still holds a special place in our hearts. So it's with great joy that we present this mystical tour through the genealogy of the Classmate PC. On hand are a number of prototypes, a non-working mockup and a version of the Eduwise that actually retains the bulk of its hardware in the rear of the LCD. Heck, there's even a bright blue convertible in there that could probably give Doom a run for its money. Unfortunately, the writeup is in translated English, but chances are the images will do the bulk of the speaking to your soul.
Intel's convertible Classmate PC gets the hands-on treatment
We already got a decent enough look at Intel's new convertible Classmate PC when it made its debut at IDF yesterday, but if you're looking for a slightly more thorough examination of it, you may want to hit up Laptop Magazine, which got a chance to spend some time with the device and offer some initial impressions. As is even more apparent in these pics, the hardware is very much not finalized, with it sporting some mismatched parts and some components that may or may not make it into the final version. That said, they do seem fairly impressed by the laptop, with the built-in accelerometer working well, and the included "Quick Launcher" software shell making Windows XP considerably more accessible to students, and adults for that matter. Hit up the link below for the video hands-on and, of course, plenty more pics.
Intel shows off next-gen, convertible Classmate PC
Intel wasn't exactly all that forthcoming with details about its next-gen Classmate PC when the subject last came up (describing it only as having both hardware and software upgrades), but it looks to have dropped its guard at this week's IDF, with it not only dishing out details, but an actual unit as well. As you can see, this one's a convertible, but Intel is quick to point out that it's not the Classmate 3.0 some have been expecting -- it'll apparently exist alongside the current generation model. Also, as you might have guessed, there's not a lot of surprises in terms of specs, with it boasting the same 1.6GHz Atom processor as every other netbook out there, along with an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 display, an SD card slot, a pair of USB ports, and an SSD drive of unspecified size. Intel is apparently still promising to provide a few more details a bit later on but, in the meantime, you can bide your time by digging into the pics available at the link below.Update: Check out a video from Intel after the break, and even more pics at jkkmobile.
Portugal signs up for 500,000 Intel Classmate laptops
Looks like Intel's clearing out all its Classmate inventory in preparation for that new model -- it just inked a deal with Portugal for 500,000 of the chubby gray laptops. The Classmates will be manufactured in Portugal as part of the deal, and the final subsidized cost to students will vary based on each family's income, with a max of €50 ($78). Kids should be getting their new machines at the start of the new school year, so it looks like things should be moving along quickly here.
More netbooks on the way from Lenovo, Sylvania and Intel
It looks like the number of netbook hold-outs just keeps on dwindling, with Lenovo and Sylvania now entering the fray, and Intel coming back for another kick at the can. While details are light on Lenovo's offering, the company is reportedly looking at launching it as soon of September of this year, and it'll apparently be targeting both consumer and enterprise markets with it. Sylvania, on the other hand, is going squarely after the average user with its new "g netbook MESO" (pictured above), which it'll apparently be offering in addition to its recently announced Cloudbook iteration. This one is said to boast an 8.9-inch display, along with the usual 1.6GHz Atom processor, an 80GB hard drive, a built-in card reader, a webcam, and your choice of Windows XP or Ubuntu Netbook Remix for an OS. No word on a price just yet, but the lack of SSD would seem to suggest it'll be on the lower end of things. Lastly, we have word that Intel is already hard at work on the third version of its Classmate PC, although the company apparently isn't going any farther than to say that it'll have a "new look and feel," and that it'll get both hardware and software upgrades. And really, is there anything more you need to know than that? Read - Out of the Box, "Sylvania to enter expanding netbook market" Read - DigiTimes, "Lenovo to launch netbook by the end of September" [Via Electronista] Read - Crave, "Third-generation Classmate PC on its way"
Daewoo Lucoms hops in low-cost laptop game with Lukid
Daewoo Lucoms is no stranger to building smallish computers, but it seems to have taken a few obvious design cues from Intel's 2go PC when crafting its own Lukid. According to the firm's site, this kid-friendly PC includes a 900MHz Celeron M ULV processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 9-inch display, 30GB hard drive and Windows XP Home Edition. There's also two USB jacks, audio in / out, WiFi, Ethernet and a rather unsightly (though quite useful, we imagine) carry handle. Expect this one to land in South Korea for around ???549,000 ($531), though we haven't heard a peep in regard to availability elsewhere in the world.[Via AVING]
Ultrathin Netbook showcased at Intel Developer Forum
From what we've seen thus far, Intel's Netbook isn't exactly the prettiest piece of kit. But apparently, the unit we've been shown looks nothing like the Netbooks of the future. At the Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai, the company was showing off an upcoming design that looked awfully thin (and awfully attractive). As it stands, all we truly know about the lappie was that Linux was under the hood and the Atom will likely power things whenever it escapes the trade show floor and ships en masse. Still, if the price is right, we can certainly see this slab being desired by more than just schoolkids in various corners of the world.[Image courtesy of Impress]
CTL's 2go PC Netbook variant gets official, headed for Amazon
Intel's just gotten official about its new Netbook platform (a.k.a. Classmate 2), and CTL has now followed suit with official word on the first Netbook that'll actually be available: the 2go PC. While there's no surprises with the specs, CTL did drop word that the education-minded laptop will be available for sale to the general public from Amazon (though not just yet) with prices ranging from $300 to $500 (as opposed to the firm $400 price tag we heard earlier). Coinciding with the official launch, the folks at Laptop Magazine have also let loose both a brief hands-on and a full review of the device, both of which find the laptop to be an improvement over the original Classmate PC, with its rugged design, long battery life and lightweight chassis in particular earning it high marks. The keyboard, however, is apparently even more cramped than the one on the Eee PC, so anyone outside of the intended kid market will likely want to look elsewhere. Be sure to hit up the appropriate link below for a video of the laptop as well.Read - CTL Press Release (PDF link)Read - Laptop Magazine, "Hands-on with CTL's 2go PC"[Via Eee Site, thanks David]
Intel launches second generation Classmate PCs for current generation of kids
Here we go, the official launch of Intel's second generation Classmate PC. After watching it trickle out in Malaysia, there's not much left to say about the rugged, Internet-centric platform of portables Intel is now calling "netbooks." However, if you're in the 95% of the world's children said to be without PCs or Internet, you're surely stoked at the prospect of your government handing you a 7- to 9-inch laptop with 6-cell battery, 512MB of memory, 30GB disk loaded with XP or Linux riding a Celeron M processor -- not Intel's newest Atom (though that's coming in future Classmates according to Intel). Then you can get started tweeting like your "more civilized" netizens.%Gallery-19718%
Intel's Classmate PC headed for US, European consumers
We've seen 'em in India and the Philippines (among other locales), and if all goes according to plan, we'll be seeing 'em in the US and Europe, too. Reportedly, Intel will be making its Classmate PC available to the everyday joes / janes in America and Europe, though Lila Ibrahim, general manager of the firm's emerging market platform's group, declined to mention what PC manufacturers would be responsible. As for pricing, we're still hearing "sub-$300" tossed around, and while definitive time frames weren't provided, here's to hoping "soon" actually means soon.[Thanks, Brad L.]
Classmate PC hits store shelves in Philippines as Neo Explore X1
No real surprises here, we knew the Classmate PC would be showing up at retail stores for a slight premium -- 16,998 Philippine pesos is about $408 US dollars -- and that other companies can slap their own branding onto the laptops, but this is the first time we've spotted Intel's "OLPC killer" on actual store shelves. The "Neo Explore X1" won't be winning any beauty contests, that's for sure. There's another shot after the break.[Thanks, bravekn1ght]
MiLeap X and Y laptop details get fleshed out
We already had a pretty good indication of the specs for HCL's new low-cost MiLeap X and Y laptops, but those that still haven't had their curiosity satisfied can now get their fix courtesy of PCLaunches, which has the complete rundown on both systems. As expected the lower-end MiLeap X is Classmate PC through and through, including a 900MHz Celeron M processor, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of flash memory, two USB ports, and the usual 7-inch 800 x 600 display. The more UMPC-like MiLeap Y, on the other hand, boasts an Intel A110 processor, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and a higher resolution 1024x600 7-inch screen. Still no word on a release date, however, though they sure seem about ready to drop.
HCL rolls out low-cost MiLeap laptops for India
HCL's already brought some low-cost desktops to India, and it looks set to do the same for laptops as well, with the company now taking the wraps off two budget-priced models made "with a little help from Intel." As you can see above, one of those, the MiLeap X, is more than a little familiar-looking, although HCL seems to be doing its best to distant itself from the Classmate PC brand, and claims that the laptop has been "designed exclusively for India." Suffering from no such confusion is the slightly higher-end and more UMPC-like MiLeap Y model, which boasts the same 7-inch screen and built-in WiFi, but adds an 80GB hard drive, Bluetooth, and Vista Home Premium in place of the MiLeap X's Linux OS, among other features. No word on a release date for either just yet, but the MiLeap X will apparently be available starting at Rs 13,990 (or about $350), while the MiLeap Y will start at under Rs 30,000 (or roughly $760).[Thanks, Sandy]
Nick Neg says Intel "undermined" the OLPC, likens company to alcoholic
As if OLPC's Walter Bender hadn't already dragged this breakup far enough through the mud, Nicholas Negroponte himself has weighed in on Intel's departure, accusing the company of using underhand sales tactics to block OLPC sales and to win over OLPC customers to the Classmate PC. Nick says of Intel: "They were selling laptop with their brand on it directly to exactly the same people we were talking to. They would go in even after we had signed contracts and try to persuade government officials to scrap their contract and sign a contract with them instead. That's not a partnership." Apparently OLPC had six million dollars on the way from Intel before they scrapped the partnership, but Nick Neg had had enough. "Each time it happened they said they would correct their ways. It's a little like cheating on your spouse, or alcoholism, or something you just can't eventually fix and we had to finally part ways." Intel sees it differently, of course. "I don't want to get into specifics but we met every obligation that we were committed to," said Intel's Paul Otellini, who called Negroponte's version of events "hogwash." Intel's version of the story states that OLPC wanted Intel to drop its non-XO projects, namely Classmate PC. This was obviously always an awkward union, given the respective organizations' competing products, but you'd really hope for a bit more maturity in the breakup given the fact that this is all, you know, for the kids.
Hacao's Classmate PC starts shipping in Vietnam
We haven't heard all that much from the Classmate PC front lately (at least compared to the OLPC and Eee PC), but it looks like Intel's education-friendly laptop is gaining a bit of ground of its own, with Hacao's take on it now shipping in Vietnam. Students receiving that version of the laptop will get Hacao's own customized Linux distribution (based on Puppy Linux) for an OS, along with the usual 900MHz Celeron processor, 256MB of RAM, 1GB of Flash storage, and a 7-inch WVGA -- plus built-in WiFi, but, as Linux Devices points out, none of the OLPC's fancy mesh networking technology. What's more, it seems that this version won't be entirely limited to students, with it also available in Vietnamese computer stores for $340 (a slight premium over the $250 apiece it'll cost schools that buy 'em).[Photo courtesy of DesktopLinux]
Nigeria opts for Linux on Classmate PCs after all
We're not sure if Mandriva CEO François Bancilhon's recent rant on the matter had anything to do with it or not, but it seems that Nigeria will be using the company's Linux distribution on the 17,000 Classmate PCs it purchased after all, despite earlier reports that it had switched to Windows. According to IDG News, an unnamed government official said that "we are sticking with that platform," although the official added that they reserve right to switch to another platform in the future. It appears that the situation might not be entirely settled just yet, however, as Microsoft is reportedly claiming that Nigeria is "still demanding Windows," and that it's still negotiating a deal that would give TSC (the company handling the laptops) $400,000 for "marketing activities around the Classmate PCs" once they've switched to Windows.
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLVIII: Mandriva CEO slams Ballmer in blog rant
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer is certainly no stranger to our CE-Oh no he didn't! series, but Mandriva's CEO François Bancilhon now looks to have turned the tables, with him targeting Ballmer in an open letter on his blog. Causing all his ire is a recent deal Mandriva made to install its Linux distribution onto 17,000 Classmate PCs sold to the Nigerian Government, which Nigeria says they will follow through on, only to replace the OS with Windows afterwards. Bancilhon, as you might have guessed, is laying the blame for the sudden change of heart squarely on Microsoft, and Ballmer specifically, saying "Wow! I'm impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their mind like this? It's pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone." Bancilhon went on to ask, "How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live?," adding that, "In my place, they give it various names, I'm sure you know them." Bancilhon then busted out the ever-reliable "how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?" line, before closing things off by saying, "You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too."[Via Yahoo News/PC Magazine]
Libya's education ministry purchases 150,000 Classmate PCs
You may recall Libya's initial pledge to purchase 1.2 million low-cost lappies from OLPC, but some 12 months later, it looks like the nation's education ministry has given its business (for realz this time) to Intel and Microsoft. Reportedly, the country placed an order in August for 150,000 Classmate PCs, and deployment has just recently begun. Intel spokeswoman Agnes Kwan noted that Intel and Microsoft were "not subsidizing the price of the laptops," but she failed to mention exactly how much the Libyan education ministry was forking out for the machines. Furthermore, Kwan stated that Nigeria was also on board and should be placing an order of its own soon, but considering how sketchy these commitments have been in the past, we wouldn't hold our breath just yet.
Intel and OLPC ready to work together?
As you may have noticed, Intel and Nicholas Negroponte's OLPC Foundation haven't exactly been getting along, with the two not only competing against each other, but even going so far as to take their spat to the national TV level. Now, however, it looks like the two might possibly be ready to put their differences behind them, at least according to a report by BusinessWeek. While details are unsurprisingly light, the magazine says that the two "may be ready to bury the hatchet," and that Intel and OLPC execs are now "in talks regarding how they can work together." Still pretty low on the likelihood meter to be sure, although, as we've seen lately, anything can happen.[Via The Inquirer]
Asus' new Eee PC 701 joins the laptop-lite fray with a bang
Asus and Intel seem to be bridging the gap between the fairly humanitarian efforts of the OLPC project and their own Classmate PC efforts, and the recent rash of mini-laptop attempts such as Palm's Foleo and VIA's NanoBook. Specs and launch plans aren't entirely nailed down, but this new Eee PC line has quite a bit going for it, even as crowded as this market is getting. The 7-inch ultraportable is based on an unnamed Intel chipset, and runs regular Windows XP or Linux without a problem, but really shines in its "easy" mode that strips things down to a barebones OS mainly for internet browsing (sound familiar, Foleo?). Asus didn't even leave Palm alone with its Wii comparisons either, stating that the Eee name, which stands for "easy to learn, easy to play, easy to work," also conveniently conjures images of the Wii game console, which is known for being novice-friendly. The Eee line will kick things off with the Eee PC 701, which will sport 802.11b/g WiFi, Ethernet and a modem for connectivity, along with a webcam, 512MB of RAM and a 4, 8 or 16GB flash drive for speedy, reliable storage. The real kicker is that prices for the 2 pound laptop are supposed to start as low as $200, and the Intel / Asus duo won't be aiming this at massive governmental purchases, but instead will be offering it to consumers through traditional retail channels.[Via HardwareZone]
