Classmate PC - First impressions
![christopher-dawson.jpg](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/0332bcbce367f50f2a351f65f4d4089e1d8a8e9b/2014/07/22/56c142ec-1175-11e4-9732-00505685119a/christopher-dawson.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)
![172165.jpg](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/bd3134474631b8c804414b9dc212d4454573ca2d/2014/08/29/f8acdc47-2f3a-11e4-9e6a-00505685119a/172165.jpg?auto=webp&width=1280)
Very exciting...keep clicking.
Glorified VTech or handy student computer?
One of the laptops came straight from a demo in China; fortunately the other came with North American power.
Power is good. I like the handle; it feels quite a bit like a thick book and seems completely solid.
One power cord, two laptops, two operating systems.
The Linux box booting up; yes, the screen really is that small; no, you don't mind after you use it for 5 minutes. It's light, rugged, and cheap - how big a screen do you want?
This should look familiar to SUSE users.
Nothing too exotic here, but I have to admit, it's faster and more reliable than the Linux Classmate.
A standard KDE interface; the test machine seemed to have real problems with multiple windows, though and kept asking me to download a boot certificate. Intel is looking into this.
Two math applications come pre-installed on the Windows Classmate
A wide variety of FOSS as well as web links are pre-installed on the Linux Classmate.
2.4 GB of flash-based permanent storage means lots of data better be online instead of stored locally.
Wouldn't have expected that, eh?
Not much bigger than my bucket of Wasabi peas!
I think my 17" laptop would win in a fight, but these sure fit nicely in a bag, on your lap, or under your arm.
This is actually a pretty cool feature. An included USB device digitizes anything written on a piece of paper attached to the device if you use the included pen.
Built-in software records the handwriting and prepares it for email, export, etc.
A closer look shows some jumps in the corners. It takes some experimentation to know where, when, and how to write with the device.