Jump to content

Classmate PC

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 77.70.127.149 (talk) at 10:52, 8 May 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Classmate PC
Classmate PC
DeveloperOEM
TypeSubnotebook
Media2GB NAND flash memory
Operating systemMandriva Linux Discovery 2007
Metasys Classmate 2.0
Rxart
Windows XP Professional
CPUCeleron M Mobile Processor 915GMS + ICH6-M
Memory256MB of DDR2 RAM
Display7 inch diagonal LCD
800 x 480
InputKeyboard
Touchpad
Connectivity10/100M Ethernet
WLAN 802.11b/g
Power6-cell Li-ion battery

The Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intel's entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. It is in some respects similar to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) trade association's Children's Machine (XO), which has a similar target market. Although definitely made for profit, the laptop production is believed to be an Information and Communication Technologies for Development project. The device may fall into a newly defined category of Netbooks.

Intel World Ahead Program

Intel’s World Ahead Program was established May 2006. Intel began this program and designed a platform for low cost laptops that third party manufacturers could use to produce low cost machines under their own respective brands.

The World Ahead program's public spokesman is Craig Barrett, Chairman of the Board of Intel. The Classmate PC is a reference design by Intel. Intel will not build the subnotebooks, but will instead build the chips that power them. The reference design is then used by OEMs worldwide to build their own branded Classmate PC.

Technology

Hardware

The reference hardware specifications as of September 28th 2006 are:

A second generation Classmate was unveiled on 3 April 2008 at Intel's Developer Forum. Significant upgrades include:

  • Available 30GB PATA hard drive (in addition to 1, 2, and 4GB SSD)
  • Built-in webcam
  • Available 9" LCD (the 7" LCD is still available)
  • Up to 512MB RAM
  • 802.11s (mesh networking, currently only usable on Linux-based Classmates)
  • Available 6-cell battery for up to 5 hours usage
  • Additional images, specifications, and video are available at "ZDNet Education"

Software

Intel announced that its device would run either Linux or Windows XP Professional. Intel is not using Windows XP Embedded as initially planned. Intel has been actively working with various international and local Linux distributions in various countries.

Intel has worked with Mandriva to customize their Linux distribution for Classmate PC. [1][2]

Currently the Intel powered classmate PC has been shown to run the following Linux distributions:

Current sales

Contingent upon the receipt of sufficient international fund monies, Mexico and the Brazilian government are evaluating whether to buy Intel's or the OLPC's laptop.[3] Regardless of the hardware chosen, the Brazilian government announced that it would use the Linux operating system.[4] It has been confirmed that Intel will be shipping the Laptops with Mandriva Linux, Discovery 2007 edition[5] as well as the Classmate 2.0 Linux distribution by the Brazilian company Metasys.

Oscar Clarke, President of Intel of Brasil, delivered thirty production units to the Brasilian Ministry of Education (MEC), for evaluation by SERPRO (Federal Data Processing Service of Brazil).[citation needed]

Intel has also started shipping to Libya as part of its deal of supplying 150,000 units.[6]

It's currently available in Argentina to buy it online through the EXO site

It's also currently available in Indonesia starting early March 2008, through two local brands: Axioo and Zyrex. The Zyrex brand, called Anoa, is Classmate PC equipped with Intel ULV 900Mhz (400MHz FSB) processor, 512 MB RAM, 2GB SSD, WiFi, LAN, 7 inch screen, 2 USB ports, card reader. Both brands of Classmate PC is sold at about Rp3 to Rp4 million (about US$300 to US$400). The Classmate PC is available in Linux or Windows XP operating system, with the XP sold at a slightly higher price, of additional US$30 to US$80.[citation needed]

It's currently available in India as HCL Infosystems' Mileap-X series. This comes with Edubuntu pre-installed. The price is INR 15,500 after taxes.

The second generation of the device will be available in Europe and USA in the hope that more sales will drive down the price.[7]

Hacao Vietnam

In late 2007 a deal was made with Vietnamese government to supply local schools with a special Classmate PC for discounted price. As this version is loaded with Hacao Linux the government was able to save about $35/pcs for Windows licence fees resulting in end price about $250/machine[8].

Comparisons with OLPC project

The goals of the Classmate PC project and the OLPC project have some differences. The Classmate PC aims to provide technology that fits into the larger, primarily Windows-based computing environment.[9] Users in this environment learn about the technologies that currently dominate the computer world, but have the risk of vendor lock-in and lose flexibility by using proprietary and closed-source software. On the other hand, XO aims to provide children with a free and open-source software environment they can modify for themselves at no additional cost and that allows them to "learn through doing".[10]

Mary Lou Jepsen, the founding Chief Technology Officer of One Laptop Per Child compares OLPC's XO-1 to the Classmate in an interview at Groklaw:

"Classmate is more expensive, consumes 10 times the power, has 1/3 the wifi range, and can't be used outside. Also, the Classmate doesn't use neighboring laptops to extend the reach of the internet via hopping (mesh-networking) like the XO does. So not only is the XO cheaper than the Classmate, the XO requires less infrastructure expenditure for electricity and for internet access. In Peru we can run off of solar during the day and handcrank at night for an additional $25 or so per student – this is one-time expense – the solar panel and the crank will last 10 or perhaps 20 years. Just try running electricity cables up and down the Peruvian Andes for that cost while making sure it's environmentally clean energy. The Classmate isn't as durable as the XO, and its screen is about 30% smaller, the batteries are the type that can explode and only last 1–2 years and can't be removed by the user and harm the environment. The batteries are expensive to replace: $30–40 per replacement. The XO batteries last for 5 years and cost less than $10 to replace. Finally, the XO is the greenest laptop ever made, the Classmate isn't – this matters a great deal when one proposes to put millions of them in the developing world."

Whilst the OLPC project aimed to redesign all of the software and hardware along educational principles and uses highly customized hardware and software, Intel has argued that the developing world wants to have generic PCs. In December 2005, Intel publicly dismissed the XO as a 'gadget'.[11]

Intel later joined the OLPC in July 2007 and was widely expected to work on a version of the project's laptop that used an Intel chip, only to pull out of the project in January 2008. Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said it had pulled out because the OLPC organization had asked it to stop backing rival low-cost laptops[12][13], while OLPCs founder Nicholas Negroponte has accused Intel of underhand sales tactics and trying to block contracts to buy his machines[14].

Technical comparison

Classmate PC OLPC XO-1
Processor Intel Celeron M AMD Geode
Display 800x600 7-inch LCD[15] low-power, 1200×900 7.5-inch LCD [16]
Operating System Mandriva Linux Discovery 2007,
Metasys Classmate 2.0
or Windows XP Professional[17] 		customized version of Fedora Linux with a GUI named Sugar

Media appearance

Classmate 2

The succesor of original Classmate design was announced in April 2008.[18]

References

  1. ^ Low-cost student laptops to run Mandriva Linux
  2. ^ OLPC News: Mandriva on Classmate PC: A Linux Education for Everyone
  3. ^ Intel to Compete with OLPC in Brazil - Computing News - Digital Trends
  4. ^ Intel and OLPC compete for edu-laptop market in Brazil
  5. ^ Intel's 'Classmate' Mobile PC Ships to South America | LinuxElectrons
  6. ^ Intel supplies Libya with 150,000 Classmates
  7. ^ http://www.itpro.co.uk/applications/news/180492/cheap-intel-laptops-coming-to-europe.html
  8. ^ Low-cost Linux-compatible laptop ships in Vietnam
  9. ^ Product Brief of the Classmate PC
  10. ^ One Laptop per Child (OLPC), Software: XO is built from free and open-source software
  11. ^ Reuters AlertNet - World's poorest don't want "$100 laptop" -Intel
  12. ^ BBC NEWS | Technology | One laptop project loses partner
  13. ^ Intel Quits Effort to Get Computers to Children - New York Times
  14. ^ BBC NEWS | Technology | Intel 'undermined' laptop project
  15. ^ Intel Classmate PC - EXCLUSIVE - TrustedReviews
  16. ^ Wikipedia: OLPC XO-1: Hardware
  17. ^ Classmate PC : System Configuration : Software
  18. ^ http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5036131897.html

News articles (by date)

Multimedia

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Classmate_PC&oldid=211004162"