Brainchild puts out Android tablet for schoolkids
updated 03:00 pm EST, Wed February 2, 2011
Brainchild Kineo targets Android at school kids
Relative newcomer Brainchild has just brought out one of the first Android tablets explicitly built for grade school. The Kineo has a new set of apps and controls to make it manageable for a teacher, such as a white list of websites and learning apps that can sync results to the cloud. Its design is also designed to take some abuse with a rugged shell and a seven-inch, 800x480 screen that can survive an estimated half-million touches without problems.
The tablet may be significantly faster than its focus might suggest and has a dual-core 800MHz processor, although it will only have 256MB of RAM and 802.11g Wi-Fi to get online. Battery life should avoid many of the pitfalls of Android tablets with a 4,500mAh pack that can last for 10 to 12 hours.
It ships with Android 2.1 and has basic Flash support. Brainchild is counting on the school focus and the cloud by limiting it to 2GB of storage. Video out is an unusual strong point as it has HDMI output to share content on a larger screen.
Pre-orders have already started for the Kineo, which should ship on March 1. A single trim level will be available for $300.
