Intel CTL 2go Convertible Classmate NL2 Tablet Gets Official
Intel have launched their latest Classmate PC design, the CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2, and to be honest we're wondering why kids get to play with this and we don't. Based on Intel's Atom N450 1.66GHz processor, paired with 1GB of RAM and a choice of up to 32GB of flash or a 2.5-inch HDD, the NL2 gets a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 resistive touchscreen, water-resistant keyboard and touchpad, and optional WiMAX, 3G or GPS.
WiFi b/g/n and ethernet are standard, as are two USB 2.0 ports, dual audio jacks (for two children to share the same machine), an SD card slot and VGA output. There's also an accelerometer to flip the display between portrait and landscape orientation automatically, something made easier thanks to the built-in retractable handle.
Intel reckon you can drop the NL2 up to 70cm (for the flash model; 60cm for the HDD version) without damage, while they say the 4-cell battery is good for up to 4.8hrs and the 6-cell battery up to 8.5hrs. Options include a microbial keyboard and various OSes including Windows 7, XP or Intel's own custom Linux build.
Press Release:
Rugged Convertible Classmate PC Design Moves the Way Kids DoLatest Intel-Powered Convertible Classmate PC Offers Durable Design for School Children Around the World
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Supported by local computer manufacturers, Intel unveils the latest Intel-powered convertible classmate PC design.
The new convertible design is more rugged and flexible, providing school children around the world with custom-built technology to help advance education.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 26, 2010 – Intel Corporation today unveiled the most flexible and durable Intel-powered convertible classmate PC reference design yet. Supported by local computer manufacturers which are part of the Intel® Learning Series, this new addition combines aesthetics with ruggedness, full PC functionality with enhanced e-learning capabilities and improved performance with energy efficiency.
Building on the success of the clamshell and convertible classmate PC designs, Intel and the Learning Series' members provide classrooms around the world with a custom-built solution for primary school education.
Featuring the Intel® Atom™ processor and a 10.1-inch LCD monitor, the new convertible classmate PC includes increased memory and storage to run education applications that help students excel in their studies and build skills for the future. The new design can change instantly from a clamshell to a tablet PC, allowing students to naturally switch form factors as they move between activities and locations in the classroom, an observation that Intel ethnographic researchers have termed "micro-mobility."
"Our ethnographers have spent countless hours understanding how technology can help school age children here in the U.S. and around the world build the skills required for the future," said Kapil Wadhera, acting general manager of Intel's Emerging Markets Platform Group, which developed the Intel-powered classmate PC reference design based on ethnographic research. "At Intel, we believe that education has the power to transform the lives of individuals, villages, cities and nations, and we understand that technology is one of our greatest tools to advance education around the world."
Built to move the way kids do, the new Intel-powered convertible classmate PC features a touch-screen with a user interface optimized for eReading applications, water-resistant keyboard, touchpad and screen, improved ruggedness with drop test from desk height, bump and scratch resistance surfaces and structures, and an optional anti-microbial keyboard. In tablet mode, the "palm rejection" feature ignores the touch of hands resting on the screen, allowing students to write and draw intuitively. In addition to being powered by the power-efficient Intel Atom processor, the new classmate PC features a rechargeable battery with up to 8.5 hours1 of battery life so students and teachers don't have to worry about plugging in. It also includes integrated wireless connectivity with WiFi and provides the options of 3G, GPS and WiMAX for easy network and Internet connections.
More than 300 vendors – including hardware, operating system, software vendors and enterprise solutions providers – are developing applications, peripherals and services optimized for Intel-powered classmate PCs as a part of the Intel Learning Series offering. This cost-effective, end-to-end solution will be brought to students by an extensive network of local OEMs including CTL, Equus and M&A in the United States, MDG in Canada and local OEMs in Australia, Argentina, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, in addition to Benelux region.
For additional information about the Intel-powered classmate PC, including photos and videos, visit the press kit at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/classmatePC.