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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.
Disney and ASUS announce Netpal netbook for kids
Past Disney gadgets may have been heavier on the Disney than the gadget, but we're guessing there'll be at least a few parents out there a little envious of ASUS's new Disney-branded Netpal netbook for kids, which will be available in your choice of "Princess Pink" or "Magic Blue" colors (the latter replete with tiny Mickey Mouse icons). In addition to that eye-catching exterior, each netbook also packs a custom, kid-friendly Disney interface, along with a range of built-in parental controls, and some customizable themes based on Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, Wall-E, and other Disney properties. As you might expect, however, the netbook itself is just a standard 8.9-inch Eee PC, but it is at least available with either a 16GB SSD drive or a standard 160GB hard drive. No word on a release date just yet, but it looks like this one will set you back $350.[Via GadgetMix.com]
