Intel develops new education-based tablet
Intel announced the development of a new 7-inch tablet design aimed at the educational market on Tuesday.
Potentially designed as a rival against organisations including charity One Laptop per Child, the chip maker's product could become a competitive force in providing computers for educational use.
The Studybook tablet will be targeted for markets in developing countries, and will come installed with Windows 7 or an Android operating system, a single-core Intel Atom Z650 processor, 32GB of storage, up to 2GB RAM, WiFi connectivity and over 5 hours of battery life.
It is expected to weight 525 grams and be able to withstand a 70cm drop on hard surfaces. The touch screen model will display visuals at a 1024x600 resolution.
Naturally, these specifications cannot compare to modern tablets including Apple's next-generation iPad, but for the emerging market of education in developing countries, efficient but cheap models that can be quickly distributed are the most viable option.
Intel is currently working with manufacturers who will distribute the Studybook, and there is no word on if it will be offered to consumers in the future. The tablet has an approximate price of $199 to $299, but this depends on distributor, bulk buying and target markets.
However, there are many netbook and tablet devices already on the market that can be purchased for less, including the Raspberry Pi. According to Intel, it is by adding more value through learning software installed on the modes that makes the additional cost an investment. The Studybook will come with a range of classroom software and e-reading facilities.
As cloud access can be difficult to maintain in developing countries, content will primarily be stored on the tablet models.
The tablet is the third product Intel has developed aimed at the education market.
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