New Intel Classmate Offers Rugged Features, E-Reader Functionality

On March 2, Intel began showing off the latest version of the Classmate PC. This convertible tablet offers a number of rugged features that allows it to survive the rigors of the school day. The Classmate uses Intel’s newer Atom N450 processor, which runs at 1.66GHz. Intel has also incorporated different e-reader technologies into the Classmate and the company is negotiating with several publishers, such as McGraw-Hill, to incorporate electronic textbooks into the Classmate ecosystem. The newer version of the Classmate is expected to cost between $350 and $400 and it’s expected to hit the education market sometime in the second quarter of 2010. The Intel Classmate is more of a reference design than an actual PC, which allows local ODMs and OEMs to customize the tablet for students.