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The Classmate has been available from a variety of vendors, previously relatively smaller fry such as (in the U.S.), CTL, Equus, and M&A. According to Intel, more than three million of the devices have been shipped worldwide.
The "plus" in this latest Classmate+ version is, then, merely the Lenovo name and distribution network. (That apparently counts for quite a bit, since, according to the manufacturer, the Organization of Ibero-American States is set to deploy 158,000 of the devices, described as a "first wave," this spring in Argentina.)
Lenovo is the fourth-ranked PC vendor globally, according to IDC and Gartner. Both research firms reported in January that the company had between nine and ten percent of the market, behind only HP, Dell, and Acer.
The Classmate platform is available either with a fixed screen or with a screen that pivots into tablet mode. Lenvo's Classmate+ (above) comes only with the fixed screen; like other versions, it has an integral carrying handle, a water-resistant keyboard with optional anti-microbial coating, and scratch-resistant surfaces.
According to Lenovo, the Classmate+ has a 1.66GHz Intel N455 processor and 1GB or 2GB of RAM. Fixed storage can be either a hard disk drive (160GB or 250GB capacities) or a solid state disk (8GB or 16GB), while the standard operating system payload is Windows 7 in Starter, Basic, or Premium editions, the company adds.
Lenovo doesn't specify the resolution of the Classmate+'s 10.1-inch screen, though earlier Classmate versions have been offered with both 1024 x 600 pixels and 1366 x 768 pixels, depending on vendor. The company does cite a 1.3-megapixel webcam and two stereo speakers.
Claimed battery life is three hours with a three-cell battery, seven hours with a six-cell battery, and 8.5 hours with a hard disk drive. These figures, comparable to previous Classmate iterations, are boosted by an additional half hour if solid state storage is being employed, Lenovo adds.
Intel has previously said the fourth-generation Classmate has two Mini PCI slots, one half-sized and one full-sized. These slots allow the system to be configured with available WiMAX, 3G, and GPS modules. Lenovo confirms the available Mini PCI expansion on the Classmate+ but doesn't say how many slots are free.
According to Lenovo, the Classmate+ has a 10/100 Ethernet port, three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, and a four-in-one card reader. Also cited are the usual 3.5mm headphone output and microphone input jacks.
Specifications listed by Lenovo for its Classmate+ include:
Launched in 2007 as part of Intel's "World Ahead" program aimed at schoolchildren in emerging markets, the original Classmate was widely seen as a reply to One Laptop Per Child's (OLPC) Linux-based XO clamshell, which arguably launched the netbook phenomenon and had a similar global education focus.
The first Classmate ran on a mobile Celeron processor and offered a seven-inch screen. The netbook was upgraded in 2008 with a nine-inch screen and the addition of a hard disk drive, among other enhancements.
Third-generation (Atom N270) Classmate, including convertible version at right
In early 2009, Intel updated the Classmate again to the third generation featured above. This featured an Intel Atom N270 clocked at 1.6GHz, a larger 30GB HDD, and an optional convertible touchscreen version.
The fourth-generation Classmate (pictured above) was announced a year ago. Key improvements were the switch to an Atom N4xx processor and NM10 I/O controller, resulting in longer battery life, as well as the 1366 x 768 pixel screen option.
Further information
More information on Intel's Classmate devices and related software may be found on the company's Learning Series website.
Jonathan Angel can be followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense.
