MPC rebrands Classmate PC as TXTbook

MPC this morning hopes to extend the reach of Intel's Classmate PC to a wider audience with the TXTbook, the first North American version available for individuals. The design is largely unchanged from the second-generation model and is small enough with its 8.9-inch screen to be used comfortably by smaller children but durable enough to handle most common drops. The system boasts a speed improvement over the original by switching to a 1.6GHz Atom that also gives the small notebook up to five hours of battery runtime on an expanded capacity battery.

This version also has all the standard configuration of the reference design, including 1GB of memory, a 30GB hard drive, a webcam and 802.11g Wi-Fi that supports automatic mesh networks for users and schools where traditional networks don't work.

MPC's version sells for slightly more than the original developing- and educational-world model and is available today with Windows XP Home for $499. No mention has been made of a Linux edition.