The unit CTL (Intel designs the Classmate PC, and companies like CTL bring it to market) sent me is lab coat white with a silver, grayish handle and I've got to say it is pretty ugly even for kids. That little bear is way cuter and so is Dell's Latitude 2100 education netbook (which comes in school bus yellow and ball field green) and the ASUS Disney Netpal Eee PC. Thankfully the pictures of the Classmate PC in blue and grey look a lot better, but if I were a kid given this egg white netbook I'd cover it in magic marker and Hello Kitty stickers. I do actually really like the detachable lunchbox-like handle, however.

What the Classmate lacks in style it makes up for in durability. The 10-inch netbook (unlike its convertible tablet sibling) can take a beating. Its hard drive is shock mounted and the chassis can withstand a 70 cm drop. And I wasn't scared to drool on it since its keyboard is spill resistant.

The netbook has one of the most cramped keyboards I've seen on a 10-inch netbook (though the Shift key is now full size), but I'm willing to be forgiving for that since it is meant for the small handed. Win on the trackpad though; it has been expanded and with its dedicated scroll bar is a pleasure to navigate the desktop with.

The $449 netbook has the usual specs - a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP and 160GB hard drive. That is plenty fine for writing a homework assignment in Microsoft Works and hitting up kid friendly websites. However, the best part of the whole netbook is the Blue Dolphin skin over Windows XP that Intel has created.The UI is pretty neat and has large animated shortcuts to frequently used programs (it is pretty easy to customize too). Its six-cell battery which doesn't protrude from the system should blast out about 5 hours of runtime and last well into recess (LAPTOP Mag has a full review and says they got 5.5 hours which isn't too shabby).

The $449 price seems like overkill considering most netbooks on the market, which are hands down more attractive, are at least $50 less. However, for a kid its got durability, easy to use software and is 100 percent cootie free. [CTL]

Computer Technology Link has the presumptive first manufacturer of the Classmate 2 for some time now. The final unit specs are the same as the demonstration model we've been playing with since the Intel Developer Forum—and which, in a later incarnation, we found quite palatable at CES—barring the replacement of the 802.11n wireless card with a b/g unit.

The price is a steep $550, but could well be lower for bulk orders. That is, assuming there are other sales channels, as CTL's site only allows one laptop per customer. You know "OLPC". [CTL via NetBux—Thanks, Johannes!]

CPU & PLATFORM Via C7-M 1000MhZ Processor Bios: 1MB Flash Rom Via VX800U Chipset ACPI 2.0 Power Management

MEMORY
1GB SO-DIMM
200 Pin Socketx1
200-pin socket x 1

VIDEO
7" LCD, 800x480
Embedded Graphics
Color LCD TFT, LED Backlight
Dual Display Support through 15 Pin D-Sub out

STORAGE
4GB Solid State Flash Drive
Supports boot from Card Reader and USB
2USB Ports
USB2.0 Interface for external storage

WIRELESS LAN
WI-FI 802.11 B/G
Mini Card form factor, single antenna

AUDIO
Integrated Mono Microphone
Microphone in and Line out
2 integrated 1-watt speakers

I/O Ports
2 USB 2.0 Ports
1x RJ-45 10/100 LAN
56K Modem
1/8" External microphone-in jack
1/8" External headphone jack
3-in-1 SD/MMC Memory Card Reader

Operating System
Microsoft Windows XP Ready
Supports Linux

Dimensions & Power
Size: 9.6"W x 6.8" x 1.7"
Weight: 2.6 LBS
4-cell Li-Ion Battery
Approx 4.5 Hours Typical Usage

Other
Integrated Camera
30FPS @640x480, .03M
Integrated Microphone

The Classmate 2 will tote a 9-inch LCD display, six-cell battery, 512MB RAM, 30GB HDD, integrated webcam, 802.11b/g WiFi support, Windows XP or Linux OS and an Intel Celeron M processor, however, future versions will move to Intel's Atom platform.

Interestingly, the Classmate 2 will be available directly to the consumer. Amazon will stock the Classmate 2, which will carry the 2Go PC title and will be manufactured by CTL. The unit will be made available tonight, and will carry a $400 price tag. Of course, Intel will allow different manufatrers to tailor their base unit according to their need, but it seems CTL are first off the mark with their offering on Amazon.

The chaps at Laptopmag snagged some exclusive time with the 2Go PC, and they seemed to like the rugged design, bright display and good battery life. However, the machine was let down by "mediocre" performance, missing video output and low display resolution. Hit up the link to checkout Laptopmag's extensive review. [Laptopmag: 1, 2]