All Hands on the Convertible PC Deck!

Title: Intel Convertible Classmate PC Hands On: You Know, For Kids
Source: Gizmodo
Date: April 26, 2010
Link: http://gizmodo.com/5524841/intel-convertible-classmate-pc-hands-on-you-know-for-kids
Descripton: The topic of this article is Intel's refreshed Covertible Classmate PC, and the likelyhood that it may be the new choice for schools to supply students with. It has a longer battery life and a bigger hard drive than some of the previous versions of this PC, with some better features that make it more "kid-friendly", such as the water-resistant screen, keyboard, and touchpad, a handle for easier carrying, better shock protection, and a rugged exterior which Intel claims can withstand a "desk-height" drop. The price is still a bit high at $499, but one can imagine that they will have something better and brighter in the near future with a slightly smaller price tag.
Comments: Our school district has opted to provide all teachers with a similar netbook for planning and instruction use for the 2010-2011 school year. I can only hope that the choice is made to purchase even more at some point so that we can have more to use with students in the classroom. The features that impressed me the most were the handle and the shock protection/rugged exterior which will help it remain in the classroom longer. It doesn't matter how careful you are, accidents always happen and it is nice to see a company taking that into consideration when designing for potential classroom use. Whether for word-processing, research, blogging, or any other classroom activity, this PC seems to fit the bill for what many teachers are looking for: portable, sturdy, and above all classroom friendly.