CTL vows $149 Atom, Linux-based desktop

Classmate PC reseller CTL plans to set a new floor for desktops with a nettop that shares the same design philosophy as Intel's portable. The 2go pc nettop will cost as little as $149 thanks to its use of a 1.6GHz Atom processor but desktop-oriented parts. The price undercuts ASUS' Eee Box in part by introducing the entry-level model as a barebones kit: the system comes without its own hard drive and leaves the user to pick the default storage as well as an operating system. This entry system will also have 1GB of memory.

Two additional models are complete but give the buyer a choice of operating system. A $199 model is defined as the mid-range model; though it comes with just 512MB of memory, it ships with Ubuntu Linux and so doesn't carry the same demands as a Windows system. An 80GB hard drive will also be standard on the PC.

A high-end edition of the nettop at $299 switches to Windows XP for less experienced users and carries both 1GB of memory well as a 160GB hard drive to match.

Every system has room for up to 2GB of memory, a PCI slot, two SATA storage drives and one PATA slot for legacy hardware. CTL hasn't said when it plans to ship the new 2go computers but is targeting them at the public rather than Intel's focus on schools for the Classmate.