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 Forumand which, in a later incarnation, we found quite palatable at CESbarring 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 NetBuxThanks, Johannes!]

From the outset, Intel's goal with the Classmate line was to create a cheap, durable laptop that could be useful in a classroom. As such, Intel gave the Classmate tablet an 8.9-inch touchpanel, 1.6 GHz Atom processor, 802.11n wi-fi, 1 GB RAM, a 60 GB HDD (or up to 8 GB of flash storage), a days worth of battery life and a weight under three pounds.

The computer itself is on par with most other netbooks in terms of build quality. Nothing feels super flimsy, the 1024x600 resolution screen is sharp, and when using it as a tablet, it sits comfortably in the hand. The keyboard and trackpad are pretty decent sized, going toe to toe with the HP Mini or the MSI Wind in that regard. And it even has a webcam that can rotate to either face the user or look out in the other direction.

Messing around with some of the apps, it's clear Intel did more than slap a touchscreen on a XP laptop and call it a tabletthey went one step further, adding the necessary hardware and software enhancements to make it as simple to use as possible.

For example, the Convertible Classmate has a quick launch panel that's been optimized for use with the touchscreen, with big icons, and other touch friendly elements. And when the Classmate is folded into tablet mode, there's a dedicated button that brings up the quick launch screen.

And not only will they be making the hardware as capable as possible for the educational arena, but they'll be working with developers and OEM's directly to make sure everything is optimized for the Classmate. One specific company they're working with is Lego, whose Mindstorms kits are popular with educators.

Intel also put some thought into how kids would be using the Convertible Classmate specifically, and calibrated the touchscreen so that it wouldn't recognize palm contact when kids are writing with the stylus. They found that most kids write with the palm down on the table, and if they didn't adjust for that with the tablet, it would have caused many input problems.

But that also involved a trade off. Because they didn't want to increase the price and have to use a capacitive/multitouch panel to enable palm detection, they had to lower the sensitivity of the resistive touchscreen in addition to using software fixes. As a result, the screen requires a bit of a heavier press to get it to recognize your input, which from what I could tell, doesn't make it the most finger friendly.

Touchscreen issues aside, the presumable lack of consumer-centric touch app support, missing features like bluetooth and a pretty generic design will likely keep it entrenched in its educational niche. But considering that's exactly what they're gunning for, you can't exactly call that a bad thing. [Classmate on Giz]

Intel had a couple of Classmate 2s set out as well, which looks admittedly dated next to the tablet. The new design takes some cues from popular netbooks like the EeePC and the MSI Wind, with an emphasis on slimness and a forward-sloping keyboard. The case, though still in development, looks more businesslike than its predecessor. There's a new webcam that with vertical tilt capability, and a nifty home button on the screen's bezel that returns the user to the desktop. Speaking of the desktop, the Classmate still runs XP, and Intel has built a simple dashboard with commonly used icons for easy touch access, though using XP's regular functions with your fingers won't be any easier than on other touchscreen tablets. A stylus is included.
The fact that it looks and behaves like a consumer subnotebook is bewildering. Without a dedicated educational OS, multitouch or even kid-friendly looks the Classmate seems to have veered off into overcrowded netbook territory. It seems plenty functional as a compact tablet though, so if the price is right it could well succeed at that. The device is still in development, so at least Intel theoretically has a chance that make this thing interesting. [Giz at IDF]

The current Classmate PC fits a traditional form-factor and has been moderately successful, if not dominant, in its intended market. Without a truly unique design or an adequately modified (or new) operating system, the first and second generations of the Classmate amounted to little more than a very cheap laptop. Switching to a tablet-style design and relying on nontraditional input methods could push the new Classmate (or whatever this is) over the edge as the de facto digital teaching device for the developing world. That, and a ridiculously low price. In any case, we'll be at tomorrow's IDF keynote when this little tease gets filled out. [Laptop Mag]

It's appropriately rugged, with a kiddy-but-pukey periwinkle rubber case sleeve, and the keyboard/touchpad are solid. Despite not being a powerhouse machine, apps like Office load with reasonable speed and the battery life's nearly biblical (3h40m). But the Windows and Office install gobbles up space, leaving just 1/2 a gig for storage, and it weirdly runs kinda hot. Still, perhaps more importantly, it's cheaper than the other hype-grabbing ultra-cheapie, Asus's Eee and not too far off of OLPC's mark at $300.

Throw in the Microsoft goodswhich, love or hate, is what some places are looking for to be on a level playing fieldand you've got an OLPC-killer, especially if they could chip the price down a bit further. [Gadget Lab]