Hands on with second-generation Intel Classmate laptop
Mon Apr 7, 2008 11:27AM EDT
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The Shrek-green "OLPC" isn't the only game in town when it comes to affordable laptops designed for schoolchildren. Intel's got a project of its own, called the Classmate, and it's quite competitive. The original Classmate came out last year, and already a second version is about to hit the market. I got some hands-on time with the 2G Classmate, and wanted to offer some thoughts.
First, if you're familiar with the original classmate, you won't find many surprises in this edition. The ruggedized/rubberized look and feel are similar, with the Classmate 2 a little more modern than the kind-of-'80s-looking Classmate 1 (pictured below), with a bigger trackpad and more traditional laptop design. (The Classmate 2 makes it all the way to 1988.) Both generations I tested were running Windows XP (a Linux version is also available, but I haven't checked it out). And despite running a 900MHz Celeron CPU, performance is pretty responsive. Sure, the machine is slowish to boot, but it's not unacceptable compared to other Windows machines.
The biggest upgrades are under the hood: The original Classmate had just 256MB of RAM and 2GB of SSD disk space (upgradable to 4GB). A new Classmate upgrades that to 512MB and a 30GB (traditional) hard drive (though this size hasn't been finalized), for environments were 2GB just isn't going to cut it. More importantly, this version of the Classmate is also upgraded from a 7-inch screen to a 9-inch model, giving students a little bigger picture. Unfortunately resolution is the same on both models, just 800 x 480 pixels. Oh, and there's also an integrated webcam available now.
I didn't get to try out the new mesh networking system, designed to make instant collaboration in the classroom easy, but its description sounds pretty cool (and a lot like the OLPC). There's new software preinstalled on the device too, designed to facilitate classroom instruction.
As for pricing, Intel doesn't make the devices itself but licenses the design for the Classmate to manufacturers around the world. They have been being sold for $250 to $400 so far, which is largely in line with other affordable laptops designed for students, like the OLPC and the Asus Eee PC. The new Classmates shouldn't stray from that by much.
Overall, I remain impressed with the device. It's an attractive alternative to the OLPC, particularly for environments where a Windows-based infrastructure works well (primarily those that already use Windows in some capacity and just want to add student computers to the mix).
Comments on Hands on with second-generation Intel Classmate laptop
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2 Posted by agustin2489 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:47PM EDT Report Abuse
@odatjack: It's always best to learn from someone else or through a website that you can look up with Google.
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3 Posted by cnull on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse
odatjack - I'd start with the Eee PC.
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4 Posted by sciencetroll@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:08PM EDT Report Abuse
i think that having a traditional hard drive is not a vary good idea. the idea of a ssd drive is good for kids because they are clumsy
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5 Posted by pei_dage on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:05PM EDT Report Abuse
Any info or insight into what age is appropriate for beginning computer use??? I'm sure there are a lot of opinions that subject.
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6 Posted by jtfochtxp on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:43PM EDT Report Abuse
It's a great idea but in reference to a phrase in the middle of the article, it is competing largly with other affordable laptop line such as a Dell and HP. Most people with go for these models rather than this because they have heard of these name brands. Also, why buy a computer for that price when you can buy a $400 laptop from Dell or HP with bigger under the hood specs and an optical drive. The article never mentioned it to have an opticle drive and copious ports such as USB. Its a great idea, and the work behind the project it extensive but it still would not inpress me enough to buy it.
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7 Posted by sam_the_juggler on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:02PM EDT Report Abuse
"Unfortunately resolution is the same on both models, just 800 x 480 pixels." I have pet peeve about misconstruing the lower numbered pixel dimensions as being equivalent to less resolution. A 7" screen at the 800 columns and 480 rows has a resolution (pixel density) of about 17,726 pixels per square inch. The same dimensions on a 9" screen has a density of about 10,712 pixels per square inch, which is a drop. However, let's put this in the context of a more common monitor size. 17" monitor, for example, with an impressive sounding 1440 by 900 pixels only has a density of around 9,976 pixels per square inch, which translates to a lower image quality than either of the other two options. I think people all too often mistake small numbers for bad picture quality. I hope this clears things up a little.
1 Posted by odatjack on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:43PM EDT Report Abuse
I have been following this market trend for a while and I have a question... What about the "Old Folks" out there who are afraid to try something new, or dont have the budget to pay for a standard laptop? Is there someplace they can go to start with the basics? I don't see any trends in the direction of that potential market group. Could someone supply a link?