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CTL refreshes 2go Classmate PC range with new convertible tablet, laptop models
It's been quite a while since we've seen a new Classmate PC from the folks at CTL, but the company's now back at CES with a pair of new models. Those include the 2go Classmate PC NL3 convertible tablet (above), and the 2go Classmate PC E12, which takes on a more traditional laptop form-factor. Both models pack a 10.1-inch screen (with the NL3 employing a resistive touchscreen to accommodate a stylus), and each boast some relatively similar specs across the board, including a 1.6GHz Atom N2600 processor, 1GB of RAM, and your choice of either a standard hard drive or SSD for storage -- plus the same ruggedness found on the company's earlier Classmate PCs. Look for both to be available early next month, with the NL3 starting at $499 and the E12 coming in at $349. Videos of each are after the break.
CTL intros new line of 'super-slim' LED monitors
Last we heard from CTL, the Portland-based company was pushing the rather underwhelming 2goPad SL10. We may not have been impressed then, but CTL's attempting to win us over again, this time with a set of three new LED monitors. Available in small, medium, and large, the 22-inch LP2151, 24-inch LP2361, and 27-inch LP2701 all offer 1920 x 1080 displays, 1000:1 contrast ratios (5000000:1 dynamic), two millisecond response times, and HDMI and DVI inputs. They also sport a helpful anti-glare coating and are apparently a quarter of the thickness of "traditional LCD monitors" -- whatever that means. Not exactly earth-shattering specs, but at $216, $258, and $330, we suppose they're not insanely priced, either. Hit the source links for more info, and check out the full PR after the break.
CTL 2goPad SL10 review
Last time we left off in the tale of Windows 7 tablets, we'd taken a look at Netbook Navigator's Nav 9 slate, which by review's end had us not only wanting to send it back as soon as humanly possible, but concluding that something better just had to be on the horizon. Well, as luck would have it, just a few days later CTL's 10-inch 2goPad SL10 showed up on our doorstep with some very promising ingredients -- a capacitive touchscreen, accelerometer, front facing camera, and a Win 7 software layer. As we said in our early hands-on, we've been more impressed with the $499 (it will go up to $599 in late October) 2goPad than we ever thought we would be, but ultimately its Atom N450 processor and its software stand in its way of being the Win 7 tablet to kill 'em all. You'll want to hit the break to read all about it in our full review. %Gallery-105170%
CTL 2goPad SL10 with Windows 7 starts shipping for $499, arrives looking better than expected
We've been keeping an eye on CTL's 10-inch 2goPad SL10 since we saw it chilling out at Computex back in June, but as of today it's no longer just another elusive Win 7 slate: the company's finally boxing up and shipping the Atom-powered tablets. Compared to some of the other Win 7 Home Premium slates we've seen lately, the 2goPad has an impressive array of specs for the price -- it packs a Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, an 250GB hard drive, and a front facing VGA camera all for $499 (though, it will go up to $599 on October 20). However, it's the touchscreen experience that'll obviously make or break the SL10, and from what we've seen so far, it may just be one of the better ones out there right now. We just got our review unit yesterday, but we've been finding the capacitive display to be very responsive to finger swipes and light taps. Our major complaint about the screen is actually its distracting glossy coating, but at least it packs an accelerometer, which rotates the orientation at a decent pace. As for software, CTL's preloaded something called QuickBits, which is really just a menu with large shortcut buttons, but it's certainly better than nothing. Our full review of this pad should be ready soon, but in the meantime enjoy the gallery below and the press release after the break. %Gallery-104907% %Gallery-104908%
CTL 2goPad SL10 Windows 7 tablet available to pre-order for $499
That's right, folks: you've been looking around, dying for a Windows 7 slate to throw down your money on... so here you go. The CTL 2goPad SL10 (which we first spotted at Computex) features a capacitive touchscreen, an Intel Atom N450 CPU, a 250GB hard drive, and 2GB of RAM. Of course the tablet also fully supports both HTML 5 and Flash, and has a 1.3 megapixel webcam to boot. The 2goPad SL10 is available to pre-order now at $499, and orders are expected to begin shipping on October 15th.
Windows 7 tablet roundup from Computex, nay Tabletex
Tabletex. Yep, that's what we're calling this year's Computex since you truly cannot go a few steps on the show floor without stumbling upon a new tablet of some kind. If you've been reading our coverage for the past few days, you know that Intel and Microsoft didn't show up in Taipei empty handed -- both of their booths are incredibly well stocked with new slates. Most of them, which range from early prototypes to quite functional, have 10-inch displays, run Windows 7 Premium and pack Intel Atom Z or N series processors -- in essence they're very much netbooks sans the keyboard panel. There are way too many of them to count, but don't you worry, we've rounded up some details and shots of the most appealing ones on display here at the show. Follow on after the break for a look at some of the newest Wintel tablets. And check the gallery below for a variety of hands-on shots. %Gallery-94267%
CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC reviewed: good enough for big people, too!
Just days after its arrival on the market, Laptop Magazine's had some in person time with the CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC. They found the little convertible tablet -- which has an 8.9-inch resistive touchscreen (with 1024 x 600 resolution) -- to be a more grown up version of its predecessor, heavier than other, similarly-sized netbooks, and they love the overall aesthetics of it. It falls a little short in a few categories: they found the 60GB hard drive to be "sluggish" and the keyboard to be "cramped," but overall, they're pretty into the Classmate, even going so far as to suggest that adults might just be covetous of the netbook. Hit the read link to check out the full review which, incidentally, is written entirely in crayon. (Note: totally kidding. We write in crayon, though. Sometimes).
CTL's 2go classmate PC now available
We know you've been waiting around here all week to hear this news, and so here it is. The 2go convertible tablet Classmate PC we've been hearing about for nearly a year, and which we fully expected to make its official debut at CES has done just that. The 8.9-inch, 1024 x 600 screen-boasting tablet's got a 1.6GHz Atom 270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 60GB HDD and 802.11b/g/n WiFi. You can grab the Windows XP version now for $549 -- no word yet on Linux.
Intel delivering Classmate PC netvertible tablet at CES 2009
The FCC totally blew the cover of Intel's 8.9-inch convertible Classmate PC, but apparently the outfit doesn't even care. In fact, it's so anxious to get the word out that it's already showing off a pre-production rig. Reportedly, the outfit will be teaming up with longtime partner CTL in order to ship its first batch of education-minded netvertibles in January, and no, the traditional Classmate PC won't be going anywhere. The newcomer is said to have an impressively sturdy chassis, and the blue on white motif is much less sickening than the previous greenish / yellow abomination. Additionally, we're told that it'll come packing a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, a 60GB HDD and Windows XP. Tap the read link for a nice gallery of shots.
CTL's 2go netvertible gets reviewed
Remember that CTL 2go netvertible we hepped you to in the heady, hazy days of mid-October? The folks over at Laptop Magazine have taken a good look at a demo model (the color of "yellow-lime green hospital sheets," apparently) and were cool enough to share their thoughts with us. The device gets kudos for its durability, with the spill-resistant keyboard, shock mounted hard drive and detachable handle earning some points, but the cramped keyboard was deemed less than praiseworthy. When functioning as a tablet, the accelerometer is said to be responsive, so reorienting the screen is a breeze -- although the reviewer did choose to install a few freeware apps to compensate for the fact that Windows XP Home is less than tablet-friendly. If everything goes according to plan, the Linux version of the tablet should retail for $499, with a Windows XP Home version costing about fifty dollars more. Hit the read link for the full review and an exciting video of the appliance in action.
CTL's 2go Classmate PC netvertible due in January for under $500
CTL's sticking with the "2go" branding for its next-gen Classmate PC, but it's not hard to spot the difference: it's a convertible tablet. We've seen hands-on shots of the Intel concept a couple times before, but now CTL's starting firm up some details for its own OEM version, and even sent along a few new live shots of the device for our enjoyment. The specs are unsurprising for a netbook-style device (we suppose the proper term is "netvertible" now, yes?) with a 1.6GHz Atom 270 processor, 1GB of RAM, 60GB HDD and 802.11b/g/n WiFi, but the departure is in the tablet functionality. The 8.9-inch, 1024 x 600 screen handles stylus and finger input, swivels flat for slate usage, and has an accelerometer for orienting the screen and potentially other (read: games) usage. The webcam swivels from back to front as well. CTL's hoping to have an XP Pro version of the laptop available, but if Microsoft has its way we'll probably be looking at a Vista Home SKU at retail (CTL's existing Classmate PC sells at Costco and Amazon.com), in addition to a Linux version for more direct sales.%Gallery-34760%
CTL releasing Atom-powered 2go nettop for $149
CTL, the same cats who brought us the 2go PC laptop, are apparently working up an equally cheap and not-exactly-flashy nettop PC. The 2go PC Nettop will reportedly range in price from $149 to $299 depending on specifications, and the baseline model will feature Intel's DG945GCLF motherboard, Intel's Atom 230 processor, 1GB of Kingston DDR2 RAM, a GMA 950 graphics accelerator, support for one HDD and one optical drive, six USB 2.0 ports and an Ethernet jack. The Essential Plus Edition ($199) adds in Ubuntu and an 80GB 7,200RPM hard drive (while slashing RAM to 512MB); the $299 Essential Performance Edition comes with Windows XP Home, a 160GB hard drive and 1GB of memory. There's no word just yet on when the 4.5-pound boxes will be released, but we'd expect 'em to surface pretty quietly.[Thanks, Nate]
CTL's mini IL1PC gets mini-reviewed
The folks over at Laptop Magazine have gotten their mitts on CTL's latest edition to the ever-growing field of ultraportables, the IL1PC (or as we like to call it, the Airis Kira 740), and have given it the once over. The system is built atop VIA's 1GHz C7-M CPU, has 1GB of RAM, a 60GB hard drive, and uses Windows XP as its OS. Obvious comparisons to ASUS's Eee abound, though Laptop was impressed with its slick design and small footprint, and felt that it excelled at simple tasks like web browsing and email. Things weren't so smooth when it came to video playback, as graphics-intensive duties led to choppy behavior. Head over to the full review to get all the ins and outs, as well as some handsome pics.
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's Netbook revealed as the 2go PC
Finally, something solid on the recently-rumored Netbook... or should we say, the 2go PC. The little laptop, manufactured by CTL, will clearly be aimed at the education market, though the specs imply that this will be destined for more than just the classroom. The 2go features an Intel Celeron M CPU on top of the 915GMS chipset, 512MB of RAM (upgradeable to 1GB), a 9-inch, 800 x 480 LCD display, 40GB hard drive, 802.11b/g, SD / MMC reader, and a full complement of standard ports and jacks. The systems natively run XP (though Linux appears to be an option), feature a VGA webcam, and are expected to go about three hours between full charges. Our contact says these will be on shelves in less than 60 days, and will retail for around $400. We're working on getting our grubby mitts all over one of these puppies, but in the meantime, check out some more pics after the break.
