Classmate
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Intel adds rugged Studybook tablet to its student-friendly Classmate lineup
File this under: "Wait, that didn't happen already?" Intel just announced the Studybook, that tablet you see up there, and believe it or not it's only the first slate to join the company's lineup of Classmate products for schools. That's sort of wild, given the popularity of tablets and also the fact that there are so many kid-proof models floating around. And yet, the closest Intel had come until now was with the Convertible Classmate PC, a device that was more of a netbook with a touchscreen. Like the rest of Intel's Classmate series, the Studybook is meant to find a home in schools here in the US and around the globe, including developing markets. And by most measures, this reference design is exactly the kind of product you would have expected Intel to cook up for such an audience. Starting with raw specs, you're looking at a 7-inch (1024 x 600), Atom-powered tablet that can be configured to run either Android or Windows 7, depending on the school district's needs. As you'd expect, it's been designed to take a beating from careless kids: the plastic, 525-gram (1.2-pound tablet) can withstand 70-centimeter (2.3-foot) drops and has a rubber band reinforcing the bezel to keep sand and other elements out. You'll also find rubber gasketing around the ports, which include USB 2.0, HDMI, a headphone jack and microSD / SIM slots. Though it comes standard with 1GB of RAM, the amount of built-in storage will vary from school to school: four to 32 gigs, or a 128GB SSD. Just as important as the specs is the software package, which includes Kno's e-reader app, as well as the LabCam suite, which lets you do things like attach a special lens (sold separately) to use that rear-facing 2-megapixel camera as a microscope. As for price, Intel is quick to emphasize it doesn't set the cost (that would be OEMs), but it believes manufacturers who use this design can sell the finished product for $200 or less. No word, then, on when this might show up in a classroom near you, but for now we've got hands-on photos below and a pair of walk-through videos just past the break.
Lenovo announces brainier Classmate+ PC, heads to top of the class
Kids have been honing their computer smarts on Intel-based Classmate PCs for a few years now, and Lenovo's just sewn its name inside the collar of its second generation of student-friendly lappies. Based on the chip maker's "Learning Series," Lenovo's new boy comes in clamshell and convertible flavors, and brings an Atom N2600 processor, a max of 2GB DDR3 memory and up to a 320GB -- or 32GB solid state -- storage along to class. It'll launch in uniform grey (like the first generation pictured), but orders that meet the minimum requirement can choose to splash a little color on top. As before, these things are designed to handle the daily rigors dished out by a nine-year-old, hence a new rotating hinge on the convertible, strengthened and designed to last "tens of thousands of cycles." Should be enough to see you into adulthood then. It's available to institutions as of this month, but if you want to know more, hit the PR after the break.
Intel's Clamshell Classmate PC now more rugged and longer-lasting
Don't expect any new swivels (ahem, Dell), but Intel's education-focused Classmate PC nonetheless learned a few new tricks at this year's IDF 2010. First up is battery life, a six-cell lithium-ion energy source "so students may be able to work all day long on a single charge" also helped by the latest 45nm Intel Atom processor (we're pretty sure that means Pine Trail and not that other newcomer). There's additionally more ruggedness in the form factor, allowing for added protection on 70cm "desk heights" drops, increased water resistance of at least 100cc of liquid, and an antimicrobial coating for a cleaner environment.
Intel Classmate PC becomes Toshiba CM1 in Japan
Toshiba and Intel have announced that they're partnering up to deliver Chipzilla's convertible Classmate PC to Japanese youths -- just in time for the new school year. Sporting a 1.66GHz Atom N450 and an overhauled design, this latest iteration of the educational use netbook will start filtering through Nipponese school corridors this August. It packs 160GB of storage room and 2GB of RAM under a nice 1,366 x 768 10.1-inch touchscreen. The latter flips around to facilitate pen input with an included stylus, while the whole package is protected by a well rubberized and ruggedized case. Now if only it could get some multitouch and one of those crazy 15-hour batteries, we might consider going back to school and using it to finish our floristry studies. Full PR after the break. Update: The Japanese school year starts in April, so technically the CM1 is just in time for the second semester. So long as it's on time, we don't think anyone will mind much.
CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2 now available for the kids
We may have dropped the Convertible Classmate PC on its head back at its CeBIT launch, but obviously that didn't throw the little netbook off its educational course. Intel along with its hardware partners are now officially launching the improved and re-ruggedized netverible, and here in the US, CTL's added the kiddie laptop to its lineup. The $499 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2, which is configured with an Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, Windows XP Home and a four-cell battery, will start shipping to those ever so studious school children this week. We can tell you that the kids are lucking out this time. We've been playing around with the netvertible for the last few days, and must say it's one tough piece of hardware. Though we can see the 3.7-pound rubberized chassis putting a bit of strain on smaller arms, it's really easy to grip and the retractable handle is less cumbersome than the previous versions. We've got to admit we were a bit disappointed that the resistive screen still doesn't support multitouch, but it's responsive to finger touches and the included stylus takes some pretty smooth notes. Our $599 unit came with Windows 7 Professional installed, but we continue to love Intel's Blue Dolphin software layer for easily opening programs with a finger. The accelerometer is slightly sluggish to rotate the screen orientation, but we were quickly distracted by the anti-microbial keyboard and rotating webcam. We'll be here wondering why the kids get to have all the fun, but we encourage you to check out the hands-on pictures and PR below. %Gallery-91756% %Gallery-91820%
PeeWee PC loses the stylus, gains average netbook status (update)
Previously on Computers Designed For Children, protagonist PeeWee PC introduced us to its creation, the Pivot Tablet Laptop, a cute little netvertible with childish specs -- but a $600 price that set it well out of reach of the average piggy bank. One year later, PeeWee has matured, but not necessarily for the better. For $100 less, the new PeeWee Power Laptop, which is actually just a rebranded Classmate PC, sports the same carry handle and kid-friendly construction as its the aforesaid Tablet (though with a faster 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 15 game titles and a security suite, mind you), but completely ditches the tablet PC functionality. Without a stylus or touchscreen for kids on which to express their creativity (read: color outside of the lines), we're not quite sure of the point. In truth, the Power Laptop is neither laptop nor powerful -- merely a rugged, kid-friendly netbook at an adult price point. But hey, it's got a carry handle! Update: PeeWee representatives tell us that the Power Laptop will not actually replace the Pivot Tablet -- a new version of that machine (perhaps a rebranded convertible Classmate?) is slated to appear around May. %Gallery-89438%
Intel Classmate PC is not forgotten, gets Pine Trail and WiMAX overhaul
We probably pour far too much time into dissecting the latest ThinkPad model or superphone, so to balance things out here's some positive news coming out of Intel regarding its laptop distribution programme for the developing world. Still a for-profit venture, the Classmate PC project seems to have been developing rather well, which has led the chipmaker to announce it'll be overhauling the case designs and internals of the machines it has on offer. Coming later this year, the new netbook models will offer Atom N450 and N470 Pineview CPUs as well as integrated 3G and WiMAX connectivity. Yeah, that's pretty decent gear by anyone's standards, so it's no surprise that Argentina, Brazil and Turkey have signed up for a total of 426,000 units between them, adding to the two million devices already shipped globally. Maybe someone should tell the UK government about this netbook craze before it's too late.
Archos rolls out Archos 10s, Archos 13 laptops, Classmate-based student PC
Archos's new Windows 7-based Archos 9 tablet may be the headliner at today's event in Paris, but the company's also taken advantage of the opportunity to expand its laptop / netbook offerings, which have so far been confined to one. Those include the previously announced Archos 10s "MiniPC," which hangs onto some mostly identical specs to the Archos 10 but packs 'em in a slimmer and lighter package, and the all new Archos 13 (pictured above), which is a full-fledged 13-inch ultraportable with a 1.2GHz Celeron ULV processor and some fairly standard specs across the board. As if that wasn't enough, Archos has also partnered with France's Ministry of Education to make a Classmate-based laptop available to students in the country, which will also include a one-year subscription to an online course service for about $400. Still no word on price for the Archos10s, unfortunately, but it'll apparently be available later this month in both three-cell and six-cell versions, while the Archos13 will run about $800 when it rolls out closer to the end of the summer.Read - Archos 10sRead - Archos 13Read - Archos Press Release [Warning: PDF link][Thanks, @charbax]Update: ArchosLounge has already made the rounds of the event and provided a few hands-on pics of all the goods. Head on past the break for a quick look at the Archos 10s and Classmate PC, and hit up their site for some more shots and details.
M&A Technology offering Intel's Classmate convertible online for $499
Intel's latest and greatest Classmate convertible PC swung by the FCC in late November, and now it's time for the general populace to get their paws on one. M&A Technology has just announced that it is currently hosting the so-called Companion Touch up for sale to anyone who's interested, and packed within will be a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, 60GB hard drive, an 8.9-inch touchscreen, Windows XP Home, 1.3 megapixel camera, Ethernet, WiFi and a 4-cell battery that'll last for around 3.3 hours. Optionally, you can downgrade to a 30GB hard drive, add in a 6-cell Li-ion (good for 5 hours of life) and opt for Linux over WinXP. It's yours for the taking at $499.
Intel's convertible Classmate PC barely makes it to FCC class
Although the third-generation Classmate PC looked completely unprepared for the real world comin' out of IFA, Intel has clearly hit the books during the fall term. Now, the convertible Classmate has graduated to the FCC, where we're shown a user's manual, label ID and a smattering of pathetic images. If you're thinking this bugger's just on cruise control until diploma day, you've got another thing coming, but we have heard that it's taking a job on US soil right after the holiday break.
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.
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]
Mobo gets rebadge happy with two new low-cost subnotes for Brazil
It looks like folks in Brazil are soon going to have a few more low-cost subnote options to consider, with Mobo announcing two new but curiously familiar-looking models. That includes the Positivo Mobo (pictured above), which appears to almost certainly be a rebadge of Airis' Kira 740 Eee PC lookalike (or a rebadge of whatever that is a rebadge of). That likelihood is further backed up by the nearly identical specs, including the usual 7-inch display, Via C7-M processor, 1.3-megapixel webcam, and built-in WiFi, although this particular model appears to come with 2GB of flash memory in place of the Kira's standard 40GB hard drive. Set to be released alongside it is the company's Mobo Kids laptop, which is just a straight up rebadge of Intel's Netbook platform (a.k.a. Classmate 2), with it boasting the same Celeron M processor and presumably all the same specs seen in other incarnations like CTL's 2go PC. Look for both of 'em to pack the same R$999 price tag (or $590), with the Positivo Mobo hitting stores first on May 23rd and the Mobo Kids following sometime in July.[Via Zumo Blog, thanks Leoberto]
Windows XP to live until 2010... on the Eee
We puzzled over Microsoft's cryptic statements at CeBIT that the Eee's "other requirements" would lead to an adjustment of the Windows 7 timeline, and it looks like our first guess was spot-on: Microsoft will be making Windows XP available for Eee-class ultraportables until 2010, and possibly later. Demand for XP on devices like the Eee and Intel's Classmate machines has prompted MS to reconsider axing XP entirely this June: the company will now sell XP Home through at least June 2010, and for one year after the release of Windows 7 -- which means sales of XP could stretch into 2012. There's no word on if the build of XP Home targeted at the ultraportable laptop set will be different from regular XP builds, but we doubt there'll be many changes -- it'll be awfully sad if people are still clamoring for XP more than a decade after its initial release, though.[Thanks, JP]
$50 Teachermate PC launched by Chicago nonprofit
As you've probably figured out from all the OLPC XO and Intel Classmate news we've hit, computers aimed at students are a pretty hot topic these days. A Chicago-based nonprofit called Innovations for Learning has joined the fray with a new $50 entry dubbed the Teachermate. The small PCs come equipped with a 2.5-inch LCD display, 512MB of RAM, an SD slot, and built-in microphone and speaker. The systems are being rolled out to a whopping 500 Chicago elementary schools over the next two years, with the aim of having a unit in the hands of every child. The kid-friendly computers will come with a special case that allows charging and data-sync of 30 units at a time, allowing teachers to collect score-data quickly. If you absolutely must have one, it looks like they're going to commercially available on Amazon, so you will be able to add it to your collection.
Forget the OLPC XO: India working on $10 laptop
While Nick Negroponte and the crew over at OLPC struggle to offer the XO for its original target of $100 (it now costs around $175, before factoring in support costs), India's Ministry of Human Resource Development is planning to completely leapfrog three-digit price tags with a machine that is already spec'ed at $47 and may cost only ten bucks when manufactured in bulk. With two potential designs having already been submitted by a researcher and engineering student (neither of which is pictured above) and a critical meeting scheduled for later this month, the "TDL" project seems to be well underway, and officials hope to have a product out the door within two years. India's plans for uber-cheap hardware come almost a year after the country rejected the XO as "pedagogically suspect," and several months after yet another competitor in this space -- Intel's Classmate -- was loosed on Brazil. And so the race to charge absolutely nothing for computers continues unabated, foretelling a day in the not-too-distant future when we'll be churning through PCs like daily-wear contacts. [Via Slashdot]
Classmate PC swallows OLPC: won't somebody please think of the children?!
It's just Intel's reference design for the UMPC V2 and Intel Classmate PC. Still, it's good to know that it can play nice with the little OLPC XO. Especially when their parents can't.
