Following in the footsteps of its student-friendly Classmate PC netbooks, Intel today announced the Studybook, a 7-inch tablet geared for children in the classroom that should cost around $200. Click through for all this rugged tablet offers, as well as our hands-on video and gallery.
The Studybook tablet has a plastic unibody design that, like the Classmate PCs, has gentle rounded corners and a clean white and gray aesthetic. Designed to take a fair share of abuse, it can withstand drops from about 28 inches, and its ports, protected by rubber covers, can keep out dust, sand, and up to 50 ccs of water. The 7-inch, 1024 x 600p screen is surrounded by a rubber gasket, which also keeps out foreign particles, and helps absorb shocks should the tablet be dropped. The Studybook weighs 1.2 pounds, and is bulky for a 7-inch tablet, but that's to accommodate its rugged features.
Inside, the Studybook has an Intel Atom Z650 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4 to 32GB of storage, depending on the configuration. The tablet can be loaded with either Windows or Android, will come with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and have the option for 3G.
Intel is working with 500 vendors, who are creating apps and peripherals specifically for the tablet. One of the more interesting ones we saw was an app called Labcam, which uses the Studybook's camera for six different applications, including time-lapse photography, motion detection, and as a microscope (with an optional lens).
Like the Classmate PC, the Studybook is a reference design, which Intel will license to manufacturing companies in the countries where it will be sold.
