Intel's Classmate PC design helped start the netbook market, and it will be interesting to see if the Classmate 2 can have a similar impact. It looks much the same, but it has a touch-sensitive screen that folds over the keyboard to turn it into a tablet computer.
It also has Blue Dolphin software that puts a user-friendly interface over the top of Microsoft Windows XP or Linux. This makes it easy to run programs using a finger or the large stylus supplied, rather than the Windows Start menu. When you hit Blue Dolphin icons, they beep and spin around.
In most respects, the Classmate 2 is a typical netbook. It has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, a gigabyte of memory shared with the Intel 950 integrated graphics, a 60GB hard drive and a good-quality mouse pad. The 8.9-inch screen has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, and also includes speakers and a 1.3 megapixel webcam that turns through 180 degrees. Unfortunately, the keyboard doesn't feel any bigger. It might be fine for kids, but I found it unpleasant for touch-typing.
Like the original Classmate, it also has a prominent carrying handle. This means there are no ports on the back of the system, only on the left- and right-hand sides. You get two USB ports, an external monitor port, an RJ45 ethernet port and an SD card slot, plus sockets for headphones and a microphone. As befits a PC intended for school use or travelling, it is robustly made, and Intel says it has been drop-tested to 50cm. It's not rugged like an OLPC XO-1, but tougher than the average consumer netbook.
The Classmate 2 software may include the Evernote note taker, FBReader for ebooks, Foxit Reader, ArtRage paint program, and SmartSynch. These appear along with Microsoft programs such as Internet Explorer in the Blue Dolphin system. However, they don't all work the same way, which is confusing.
Worse, the ultracheap Windows XP Home is a poor option for a touchscreen machine: XP Tablet Edition, Windows Vista and Windows 7 all offer better support. Apparently, Classmate 2 PCs can be upgraded using education authority deals, but that's not how they're shipped.
Finally, if you do fancy a Classmate 2, you can't have one. What you should be able to get is an equivalent machine from a local PC manufacturer, although these may vary. In the UK, the £349 Fizzbook Spin looks like the real thing.
Pros: Touchscreen convertible at reasonable price; robust
Cons: Tiny keyboard; small hard drive; inconsistent software