‘Intel’s latest Classmate: Who needs an iPad?’ was the headline on ZDNet’s story on the latest iteration of the Intel-designed convertible classmate PC that was officially unveiled to the world in an event at Central Park Zoo in Manhattan. As the children used their new classmate PCs to sketch pictures of animals pacing in their cages, review sites were putting the classmate PC through its paces.
ZDNet’s Christopher Dawson, a longtime fan of the classmate PC, said, “The new convertible tablets are improved on several fronts, taking a relatively tough, kid-friendly computer and turning it into a rugged iPad killer with a keyboard and software stack suitable for a variety of use cases all the way from Kindergarten through 12th grade.”
He noted the new convertible classmate PC turns into a tablet PC, can be ordered with anti-microbial keys (i.e., they resist bacteria coming off smudgy little fingers), and gets more than 8½ hours of use on a charge.
Cnet said the classmate PC was comfortable and easy to hold, noted its powered by a new Intel Atom and added that the user interface was easy to use.
“The only question is, at $499, would a school possibly choose an iPad instead?” CNet asked. “Granted, the iPad is not shock-resistant, can't run a regular OS, and is limited by the apps available on the App Store. We've heard of a few school administrators considering iPad purchases, but for now the Classmate seems like a less flashy but far more practical solution.”
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