My kid's Netbook is better than your kid's Netbook
Specifically marketed with kids in mind, PeeWee PC is a site that offers not only kid-friendly PCs, but also laptops customized for your ever-growing child.
On Wednesday, PeeWee PC is rolling out the Atom-powered PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop. The 3-pound PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop--which is more of a tablet Netbook than a laptop--sports a rotating screen that converts between a normal notebook orientation and a touch tablet.
(Credit:
PeeWee PC)
Kids can use either a keyboard or an included stylus to interact with their favorite programs or games. The unit features a rugged, spill-resistant case that's designed to endure the bumps and knocks the younger generation has to offer. So, parents, when your child goes into a temper tantrum and flings the machine around, you might be knocked on your a**, but know that your investment has sustained the fall from your head to the floor.
Kidding aside, the PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop runs Windows XP on a 10-inch screen, 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM (upgradeable to 2GB) and a 60GB hard drive. In addition, the tablet has two USB 2.0 ports, an SD/MMC media card reader, a VGA port, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam. Reminiscent of Intel's Classmate PC in 2007, the Pivot Tablet has a carrying handle that's removed by taking out the battery and then removing the four screws that affix the handle.
The PeeWee Tablet Laptop ships with game titles for pre-K, early elementary, or upper elementary students, plus a free Walt Disney Windows XP theme, and a proprietary security suite so parents have complete control of how and when kids use the notebook--parents can also view browsing histories, block sites, take screenshots, and control the system remotely.
Other preinstalled applications include:
- ArtRage 2--painting tool
- MyScript Stylus--Handwriting recognition
- FBReader--e-book reader
- Foxit Reader--PDF pdf viewer
- ArcSoft Webcam Companion
- Evernote
Those specs aren't too shabby. However, when you think about the other Netbooks on the market that are geared toward adults, and how affordable they've become, the $600 price tag on the Pivot Tablet seems a bit much. OK, so the system is a bit more durable, the programs/software are geared toward kids--safeguarding against any naughty sites their impressionable eyes may stumble upon--and oh, yeah, it's a tablet. I guess the price could be justified. Then again is anything geared towards kids cheap these days? ::(Raises fist emphatically)::
