Second Generation Intel Classmate PC ‘NetBooks’

Intel showed off its second-generation Classmate PC at the Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai, China. Intel’s ‘netbooks’ are low-cost and will presumably bridge the digital divide, just like the OLPC’s XO Laptop.

The concept of the Classmate PC faces many of the same challenges as the XO Laptop.Children who’ve been exposed to full-fledged PCs will not be satisfied by the Classmate PC.

Two things that really differentiate the Classmate PC from the XO Laptop is that Intel’s ‘netbook’ can be configured with a 30GB hard drive and Windows XP. The Linux flavored XO Laptop may be more intuitive for children learning computing basics, but I think it’s also important for kids to learn Windows and mainstream applications to prepare them for higher learning and the job market.

However, any computer that can get more children online is a step in the right direction. In a press release Intel’s Andrew Chien said:

“Only 5 percent of the world’s children today have access to a PC or to the Internet. Education is one of the best examples of how technology improves our lives. We have seen how technology helps teachers create fun learning experiences more efficiently. We have also been touched by children’s excitement when they are inspired by technology. The Intel-powered classmate PC is one of the ways we support the IT industry in spreading the benefits of technology in education for children around the world.”

More from Intel’s press release:

The second-generation classmate PCs have an Intel Celeron M processor with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and mesh network capabilities. The top range of these netbooks includes a 9-inch LCD screen, 6-cell battery life, 512 MB memory, a 30 GB HDD (hard disk drive) storage and an integrated webcam. An Intel powered classmate PC supports Microsoft Windows XP and variants of the Linux operating environment. When pre-installed with the education software stack, these netbooks are ideal for classroom-learning environment. Software and content will be available in more than eight languages.

More than 80 software and hardware vendors, content providers, educational services providers and local OEMs have been working with Intel to develop a complete infrastructure that supports the Intel-powered classmate PC. They were present at today’s announcement in Shanghai.

Chien also said future Intel-powered classmate PCs will be built with the Intel® Atom™ processor. It is an energy-efficient, low-cost computer chip designed to provide wireless capability to small mobile computing devices such as netbooks.

The updated child-sized computer will continue to be deployed as part of the Intel World Ahead Program, a global initiative aimed at spreading digital accessibility and educational opportunities.

The Digital Transformation

Chien also discussed how the second-generation classmate PC is a proof point of the digital transformation he believes is underway today. He highlighted several more digital advances including the use of a cascaded silicon Raman laser as a low-cost Methane gas detector and talked about a novel “holistic” platform power management technology to significantly improve the energy efficiency of a wide range of platforms. He addressed emerging digital consumer applications such as personal robotics and computational photography as fronts where this transformation is taking place by demonstrating “Fuwa,” a personal robot from the Fudan University and ReFocus Imaging’s light field camera.

Intel architecture is also transforming with the multi-core movement in mainstream, parallel computing. This will require new programming techniques and languages at the heart of Intel’s tera-scale computing research program. Chien, along with Dr. Zhang Xia, chief technology officer of Neusoft Co., demonstrated Ct, a new parallel programming language from Intel research that will make programming for many-cores more efficient than what is possible today. Chien says Intel’s research is poised to tackle both the opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead with the Digital Transformation.

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