Intel to sell Classmate PC in US, Europe
updated 08:50 am EDT, Thu March 20, 2008
Intel Classmate PC in US
Intel will sell its Classmate PC notebook in its home territory of the US as well as in Europe, the company said Thursday. While the PC was designed for developing-world countries where cost and a toughened design are necessary, a refreshed version of the Classmate will be available in the more developed areas within weeks from today. Other companies are expected to follow with designs of their own, though whether this includes known "netbook" designs such as the ECS G10IL or the Eee PC 900 is unknown.
The reference Intel version will still be based on a Celeron M rather than the Atom processor just announced earlier this month. Pricing and other details of the Westernized version have not been discussed.
Intel's sales tactic follows a similar approach held by the One Laptop Per Child project for its XO notebook, which was initially sold only to governments in developing countries but ultimately sold for a limited amount of time in North America after demand and fundraising efforts led the OLPC group to change its stance.
