The Intel Classmate was originally developed as an ultra-low cost laptop especially for the educational market. It is the perfect option for anyone in need for a netbook. The Intel Classmate came out in September 2007 and at that time was extremely modest. However, time has moved on and things have changed with the new model being a whole new product.

The only trade-off

Intel Classmate

Intel Classmate features Intel’s world-class 900 Celeron M processor. This is not comparable to the powerhouse of the company’s 1.6Ghz Atom, but it definitely is a strong competitor. What is worth mentioning is that its hard drive at a modest 30GB is smaller than the ones in the offerings of competing manufacturers.

Other suppliers offer 160BG/7200 rpm drives.This, however, makes the Classmate less expensive and leads to it being more compact and rugged that is definitely a good option for a mobile professional or student.

Carrying your netbook made easy

The netbook just weighs over 3 lbs which means that you definitely won’t be getting tired from carrying this unit wherever you want to take it. At 9.4” deep x 10” wide x 1.5” high you can easily fit it into any case. It is even smaller than many hardcover books! It comes with a letter cover with an integrated handle in which it is very comfortable to carry around.

A netbook made for extreme conditions

Its construction is what really makes this model stand out. As it was originally intended to be sold to students who lived in developing countries it was developed in a smaller less complex configuration. Also it had to meet some high standards such as being able to survive dust, physical impact and other hazards that are of concern in these countries. Therefore Intel created a hardy machine to begin with and the newest model of the Classmate still takes advantage from the learning experience of its producers.

While the original version was sold having a smaller keyboard with several keys removed this drawback was eliminated in the newer models. The producers became aware that it was a hassle for many users to re-learn the position of various keys and therefore this was changed for the latest version of the Intel Classmate.

Get a whole new classroom experience

The Classmate features something that not many low-end models provide: an integrated web camera. Even more astonishing – it even works! This was not always the case for models with modest specs where you often got a bad video, but because of the Intel 915 graphics chipset featured in the model you don’t have that problem, at least if you don’t have many other power consuming applications running.

This might be interesting for you especially if you are doing online courses. There is pre-loaded educational software to be found on your Intel Classmate that enables you as a student to connect with other students and teachers in real time. It facilitates document exchange, monitoring and instant messaging, which enables you to get a whole new feeling from an online lecture.

The integrated microphone and headphone jacks together with stereo speakers make it easy to communicate and listen. Despite of its size the Classmate still features 2 USB 2.0 ports and an integrated Wi-Fi support. Battery life can be expected to be about 4 hours.

Extend the storage of your Classmate netbook

As storage space is limited you will be happy about finding a standard SD slot in your Classmate netbook and if this is not enough you can even attach an external drive via a USB port. Most people don’t want to drag an external drive around with them but it is a good option for offloading files when you are at home.

Check out the Intel Classmate supplied by the company that actually started the netbook craze – find out what they’ve done to attract so many people and have a look at the latest offers of the Intel Classmate on eBay!