DisneyNetpal
Latest
Disney Netpal finally up for pre-order, ships this week
We've waited... oh, how we've waited! After two long, torturous months of anticipation, Disney is finally letting the "Magic Blue" and "Princess Pink" Netpal netbooks out to play with us. Featuring the zaniest paintjobs this side of the RilakKuma, customized XP themes, shell control for parents and no shortage of magic dust, the two machines are available to order now for $350 with deliveries likely by next week.[Via Netbooked]Read - Toys R UsRead - Amazon
Disney Netpal hands-on (with video!)
We got a quick look Disney's little Netpal Eee PC rebadge, and found our not-too-high expectations slightly exceeded by the fairly slick skin Disney has slapped on top of XP. The Netpal platform is really Disney's primary contribution here, since the computer underneath is vanilla Eee PC other than the fairly stylish "boy" and "girl" skinning job. The shell, however, is a locked down environment that allows parents to white list web sites and email addresses for kids to access, along with a list of allowable apps -- kids aren't restricted to just Disney's set of experiences, little Bobby can master PowerPoint in between play dates if his parents don't mind. Standard netbook sluggishness is of course a drawback, but the extensive parental controls, kid-friendly interface and $350 retail price are all good omens for rising above the general shoddiness and usual misnomer of "kid tech." Video is after the break.