Filed under: Tablet PCs

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.

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Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

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Filed under: Laptops

Continue reading Intel shows off next-gen, convertible Classmate PC

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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.

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Filed under: Laptops

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”

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Filed under: Laptops

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]

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Filed under: Laptops

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]

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Filed under: Laptops

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Filed under: Laptops

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.

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Filed under: Laptops

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.]

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Filed under: Laptops

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Filed under: Laptops

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.

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Filed under: Laptops

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Filed under: Laptops

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

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]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

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.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!