I'd like to have a fling with Eva Glass. Please send photo
|
|
|
Intel unveils new Classmate PC
SHINING IT'S LIGHT on the world of education, Intel has launched a new convertible classmate PC and an initiative dubbed the 'Intel Learning Series' (ILS), with the lofty goal of revolutionising the way education is delivered across the globe.
Made up of a plethora of PC manufacturers, software coders and hardware developers, Chipzilla hopes that ILS will build sufficient tech around its Classmate hardware to generate sales for a long time to come.
As for the new Classmate itself, it's gone all flexible, able to turn itself from clamshell to a tablet mode with a clever 180-degree swivel design. The little lappie also packs a touch screen, rotational camera, water-resistant keyboard and a "palm rejection" feature, designed to let kids write more naturally by resting their palm on the touch screen. It is also handily 'backpack friendly' and apparently able to withstand bumps, knocks and accidental drops on the floor.
Intel said the Classmate had been be preloaded with student-friendly software, kindly supplied by the members of ILS, including Smart, Easybits, Canonical, Inspiration Software, Earthwalk, Pasco, Algoryx and Sanako. We can only assume they're doing it all for the kids, not for the marketing value, of course.
Chipzilla Veep for EMEA and deputy general manager for the region, Gordon Graylish, noted "There are 1.3 billion school-age children around the world, and of those, only five per cent have access to a PC or to the Internet. The IT industry has a huge opportunity to contribute to how technology can improve students' learning and students' lives."
Not to mention contributing to Intel's profits.
Intel reckons over 100 software and hardware vendors, content providers, educational services providers and local OEMs have been slaving away to develop a complete infrastructure to support the Atom-powered classmate PCs, which comes in both Windows and Open Source flavours.
But the appearance of a new convertible model Classmate doesn't mean the disappearance of the clamshell-only type model currently being distributed by the Portuguese government's Magalhães (Magellan) Initiative.
The initiative provides PCs to all elementary school children via their local computer manufacturer and telecom service providers and Intel has announced an additional partnership with Portuguese OEM, JP Sá Couto, and a local design company, CEIIA, to develop a new design of the Magalhães PC soon. This new design should include a larger screen, more memory for local content and additional connectivity options such as 3G and WiMAX.
In the UK, PC manufacturer CMS is now offering the new convertible classmate PC design. µ
Tags: Intel
Share this:
Share
If you look at the Intel Classmate PC info you find that there are 2 clamshell models and a Convertible model. Only the convertible has a touch screen.
It looks like all the above pics are production models...just different models.
Check out the spec sheets at
http://www.classmatepc.com/
Click on the New Design button at bottom center of page then select view Specific details for clamshell|convertible
I am guessing Canonical supplies Ubuntu for the OS. So it is a Linux touch screen. Very nice.
However the pics of the machine at the top of the story have a modest plastic border around a modest size screen. In the first pic with a child using the machine it has a monstrous border and very small screen.
Which is the production model?
those "innovative" convertible clamshell to tablet hinges have a long history of breaking.
I used to work for a computer repair shop at FSU, the college of medicine students can't stop breaking the things, hinge replacements all the time.
Im sure there will be no problems with elementry school kids using them.
Its nothing new, its simply copy of XO in functionality and design. It looks like try to utilize XO success, by main enemy of XO project. Its like cannibalization.