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Intel Announces New Educational Tablet and Classmate PC

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Intel unveils newest generation of educational devices.

Intel's low cost Classmate PC has been around for years. The company is freshening things up today with the unveiling of a new Classmate PC as well as a brand new tablet aimed at the education segment.

 

The Classmate PC measures 10 inches in size and runs on Intel's Celeron N2806 processor and Windows 8.1. There's also a rotating camera and the option for a touchscreen display. The first product based on Intel's reference design will be the HP Classmate Notebook PC and is set for availability this month. Interestingly, Intel says a Windows 7 model will come later this year, along with a Linux version.

"The HP Classmate Notebook helps deliver access to instructional tools, learning apps and education content to students and teachers around the world," said Gus Schmedlen, vice president, PPS Education, HP. "Combined with professional development and HP's national education technology planning resources, the HP Classmate can help drive meaningful learning, social and economic outcomes."

 

The 10-inch Intel Education Tablet is based on Intel's Z2520 CPU clocked to 1.2 GHz and runs on Android 4.2. It has support for a stylus, front- and rear-facing cameras, optional 3G, and a 12-hour battery life. Both the tablet and the Classmate PC are ruggedized (water- and dust-resistant) and feature snap-on magnification lenses and plug-in thermal probes to help kids learning science.

Sound off: Windows is ubiquitous but seems to be losing favor with the latest versions. Android's gaining market share every day, but it's not quite the standard yet. Which do you think will be a bigger hit in the education sector?

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6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • southernshark 23 January 2014 01:22
    I'll bite. I work in education. Android is definitely moving a lot faster than W8. Probably the biggest thing is Google itself, with its free online cloud storage (drive) and word processing program. Free is a big attraction to a lot of schools. I work for private schools internationally, and budget concerns are always an issue. Not only that, but the ease of acquiring the technology matters because sometimes its hard to do overseas. With Google it is all right there. Of course it helps that kids like new. They see MS as old. Google is a newer and hipper.

    For myself, I want an Asus dual boot Windows 8.1 and Android. That would be extremely awesome.

    Windows still has its place though. No one wants to use Chrome and Powerpoint is still better than the competition. Windows is also helped ironically, by free programs like Apache Open Office which is still better than Google's online word program, and it doesn't require an internet connection.
    Reply
  • oj88 23 January 2014 05:06
    HP made the product announcement on 12/10/13. Till today the Classmate PC is still an on-paper, non-exist, coming-soon product. How can you judge something without a price tag? To me, Asus Transformer Book T100 is the best 2-in-1 in its class, with the full Win 8.1 and Office 2013 pre-installed on 64GB eMMC. And its price tag is only $400.
    Reply
  • lilyjoin 1122 23 January 2014 08:28
    Android is definitely moving a lot faster than W8. Probably the biggest thing is Google itself, with its free onl
    ine cloud storage (drive) and word processing program. Free is a big attraction to a lot of schools.
    Reply
  • ZolaIII 23 January 2014 17:11
    Intel is just trying to sell storage of old garbage Atoms.Android is not for productivity, teach the kid's something useful like basics of Linux & Open Office.
    Reply
  • belardo 23 January 2014 22:46
    Another good office suite that has a modern and click UI is Kings soft Office. Its a 25MB download for word/ spreadsheet and presentation tools.
    Reply
  • belardo 23 January 2014 22:46
    Oh, its for Windows, Android and coming to Linux.
    Reply