Thursday, April 3rd 2008
Intel Unveils the Second-Generation Intel-Powered Classmate PC - Netbook
Intel Corporation unveiled a new design of the Intel-powered classmate PC today at the Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai. As announced in a keynote by Andrew Chien, Intel vice president, Corporate Technology Group and director of Intel Research, the second-generation Intel-powered classmate PC is an affordable, fully functional, rugged Internet-centric computer platform. These simple-to-use PCs have wireless capability, longer battery life, water resistant keyboards and are more shock resistant if dropped. Intel is calling this category of PCs "netbooks."
The Intel designed computer offers different choices to manufacturers so each can tailor laptop models for a variety of education needs. The new classmate PC blueprint is the latest innovation and educational tool for parents and teachers to use technology, computers and Internet access to better educate students around the world.
"Only 5 percent of the world's children today have access to a PC or to the Internet," Chien said. "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."
The second-generation classmate PCs are built on 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.
Source:
Intel
"Only 5 percent of the world's children today have access to a PC or to the Internet," Chien said. "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."
The second-generation classmate PCs are built on 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.
13 Comments on Intel Unveils the Second-Generation Intel-Powered Classmate PC - Netbook
Prohibiting use of computers unless neccessary until like the age of 10~11 is the best option in my opinion. Or else you will just end up with a child that will most probably have behavioural problems.
What will the children do with these PCs? Play games on them! Play all day!
Intel wants to be generous, but they also want to make a profit out of this. This isnt exactly what I would call being honest and something that should be looked down on.
Intel Leap Backwards
Preventing information to be given to those craving it should be classed as a crime against humanity. The internet doesnt do anything more than break social and racial conformities which are present in the real world, on the internet you are free to say and do whatever you want without fear of prosecution. You might say " theyre only 10 what could they possibly do whats worth prosecuting". With governments as they are at the moment you will be prosecuted for anything they deem illegal, unfortunatly what they deem illegal , piracy and the such i and many others deem as morally just. giving insane amount of money to the man doesnt do anything more than worsen the worlds status, especially in western society. Times have changedm in the 21st century amost every job there is will have interaction with the internet and computers. Personally id much rather employ someone who has had procifient experience using a computer than someone who has had well, the education you get in secondary schools regarding computing/IT(which is a complete joke).
Intel should be thanked for bringing new hopefuls to the IT and computing industries aswell as to other industries such the media industry and e-commerce, etc. all of these will benefit from young minds gaining access to the net.
bringing new hopefuls into the world of /b/ is also a plus :)
Personally i find school easy and boring, so i do most of my learning via the internet(get better results than most in my class for it aswell). the thing is, the educational system in my country (U.K.) is useless. the things you learn are common sense to the majority. IMHO schools should focus more on work based education allowing students to practise and develope skills used in the real world instead of knowing how to balance a chemical equations or find the area of a circle. if more students(children) to the net then those said children would be open to the largest source of information available during the time where they are most adapt at learning.
Yet, I'm sure you wear clothes, eat bread, and take a bath, don't you? ;)
Each generation has a whole new set of "essential" things to learn. It's not so far-fetched a belief to say that it's very important for third-world children to learn how to use a computer.
I am 23. :)
They didn't opt for the Geode until Intel gave notice that it was leaving the board. The Atom was the first choice by OLPC, but AMD didn't emphasize on profiting from the project(they just wanted good press most likely).
Geode = weak performance and incredibly low power consumption(ideal for solar power)
Atom = much better performance and low power consumption
I would prefer the Atom. The third world would do better with solar powered units in areas without electricity.