Author Topic: PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop could be a hit with your kids  (Read 1070 times)

Offline javajolt

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PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop could be a hit with your kids
« on: August 16, 2009, 02:07:57 AM »

Netbooks are a popular choice for people buying laptop computers, and they seem sized appropriately for kids, but adult priced.

A netbook is a small, lightweight laptop without an optical drive that is designed for light duties such as Internet surfing, checking e-mail and word processing.

The PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop ($599, www.peeweepc.com) is a pretty full-featured netbook aimed squarely at kids.

So, if netbooks are a dime a dozen, what makes the PeeWee Pivot a good choice for kids?

The Pivot looks like most netbooks, but its 8.9-inch LCD (1024 by 600 pixels) is a touch screen that rotates and pivots to close in tablet mode (think Etch-a-Sketch).

Input methods for the PeeWee Pivot include the trackpad, a finger or a stylus.

It's drop- and spill-resistant. There is a rugged outer case (drop-tested from 20 inches) and a water-resistant keyboard. There's also a plastic carrying handle that can be removed for older kids.

The Pivot ships with Windows XP Home installed with a Disney theme and 10 pre-installed software titles that are age-appropriate for your child.

When you place your order, you can specify pre-kindergarten, early-elementary or upper- elementary software bundles. You can also change the XP theme from among half a dozen Disney or Star Trek themes.

Also included is a security software suite so parents can control what kids can access online and set time limits for daily use.

Software includes Microsoft Works 9.0, ArtRage 2 (a painting program), MyScript Stylus (handwriting recognition), and an e-book reader and PDF viewer.

The Pivot has an Intel Atom processor (1.6 GHz), one gigabyte of RAM, a 60- gigabyte hard drive, an SD card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, 802.11 b/g/n wireless connectivity, an ethernet jack, a VGA port and jacks for headphones and a microphone.

There's also a Web camera that rotates 180 degrees and a built-in microphone for video chats.

Upgrade options to the $599 base Pivot include Windows XP Pro ($186), your choice of Microsoft Office suite (starting at $186) and a bump to two gigabytes of RAM ($89).

The PeeWee Pivot Tablet is designed for your kids, but it's a serious laptop. It has most of the features a grown-up needs to get some work done on vacation or as a second computer.

A one-year warranty is included (a three-year warranty adds $98) and a charity donation – you can choose from a list of three – is made for each computer sold.

I liked the Pivot's response times and bright screen. I'm afraid my fingers are too big to do any serious typing on the built-in keyboard, but I'm sure it's perfect for young fingers.

Quite honestly, while I love the small form factor of netbooks, the keyboard size is what keeps me from buying one.

I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable leaving a normal netbook with a 3-year-old child, but the PeeWee Pivot should be able to stand up to more than a little abuse.PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop

Pros: Full-featured, rugged, touch screen, parental-control software.

Cons: Price! Too small for my fingers, but I'm not the target market.

Bottom line: Matches up well with similar netbooks from other manufacturers, and the kid-specific features make it a great first computer for your children.




CPU & PLATFORM

Intel® Atom™ Processor N270 1.6GHz

Intel 945GSE Chipset

UTILITIES

Tablet Sensor: When switching from clamshell to tablet mode, display rotates 180-degrees

Accelerometer: Display rotates as device is rotated

CARRYING HANDLE

Carrying handle is easily removable. Just remove the battery, remove the 4 screws that affix the handle, remove the handle and replace the battery.

STORAGE

60GB 1.8" PATA HDD

2-in-1 SD/MMC memory card reader

Supports boot from card reader and USB

USB 2.0 Interface for external storage. INPUT

Water Resistant Physical Keyboard - when screen is rotated in clamshell mode

Touch pad (Mouse)

Touch Screen accepts handwriting recongnition and virtual on-screen keyboard

I/O PORTS

2 USB 2.0 Ports

1 x RJ-45 10/100 LAN

1/8" External Microphone-in jack

1/8" External headphone jack

2-in-1 SD/MMC memory card reader

Kensington Lock Ready.

VGA Port (15 Pin VGA)

MEMORY

1GB Standard (Upgradeable to 2GB)

NETWORK

10/100M Ethernet

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with open mesh support (Linux Only)

Mini-card form factor, single antenna

Security: WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK

DIMENSIONS AND POWER

Size: 9.5" (W) x 7.5" (H) x 1.5" (D)

Weight: < 3 lbs

6-cell Li lon Battery

Battery life aprox 5hrs+ typical usage time

AUDIO, SPEAKER, MICROPHONE

Integrated 2 channel audio w/ 1W speakers

Built-in speaker and microphone

VIDEO

8.9' LCD, 1024 x 600 Touch Screen

Color LCD TFT, LED Backlight

Digital LVDS Interface

Integrated camera

Driver / AP support Windows XP

WEB CAM

Integrated 1.3MP webcam which rotates 180 degrees to allow creative interaction

OPERATING SYSTEM

Microsoft® Windows® XP Home - Installed

Supports Linux (ETA April 2009)

WARRANTY

1 Year Depot/Mail-in Parts and Labor Warranty

OTHER

Resisitive Touch Input

Includes stylus/pen for resistive touch input

Built-in accelerometer senses orientation and automatically switches screen between portrait and landscape modes

DROP TEST

Ruggedized: Tested with 50cm Drop Test

Software Installed

* Microsoft® Windows® XP Home - Pre-Installed

* Microsof® Works 9.0 - Pre-Installed

Utilities

* Tablet Sensor Functionality: When switching from clamshell to tablet mode, display rotates 180-degrees

* Accelerometer Functionality: Display rotates as device is rotated

* Intel Quick Launcher

* Easy Network Manager

*Intel Power Manager

* Quick Control Panel

* Touch Screen Calibration

Pre-Installed Software

* Microsoft® Works 9.0

* Works can help you coordinate everything from little tasks to large projects. You can stay on top of your busy schedule, update your contact list, manage a household budget and keep up with your correspondence. Works gives you the basic tools you need to make your tasks easier from start to finish.

* Word Processor: Use the Works Word Processor to easily create letters, resumes, greeting cards and more, with customizable templates, improved proofing tools and a built-in dictionary.

* Spreadsheet:Keep to-do’s organized, plan home improvements, or track your personal budget with the Works Spreadsheet.

* Calendar:Combine up to 32different calendars into one view to keep track of everyone’s plans with the Works Calendar.

* Database:Store addresses,lists, or home inventories in the Works Database.

* Compatible with Microsoft Word and Excel 97-2007: Share & edit Works Word Processor and Spreadsheet files with Microsoft® Office Word and Microsoft® Office Excel and vice versa.

ArtRage 2 - Painting tool

* ArtRage is a fun and easy-to-use painting tool that lets you play with realistic paints on your computer. You can create your own paintings from nothing, load in photos, and recreate them with oil paints, pencils, felt pens, or any of the other tools ArtRage has to offer.

MyScript Stylus - Handwriting recognition

* Write naturally on your TabletPC or Graphic Tablet screen and MyScript Stylus Windows converts your handwriting into computer readable and exploitable text!MyScript Stylus Windows replaces your keyboard in applications requiring text entry. MyScript Stylus Windows transforms your handwriting into typed text and inserts it at the position of the cursor in the application you are working with (text editor, task manager, calendar, etc.). MyScript Stylus Windows is available in two language configurations (English and French) and understands both hand printed and cursive handwriting.MyScript Stylus not only provides handwriting and character recognition, it also provides a virtual on screen keyboard and math keyboard which accept input by taping on the screen (useful when the screen is folded into tablet mode and the keyboard is not available)

* FBReader - e-book reader

* FBReader is an e-book reader which supports several e-book formats including: fb2, html, chm, rtf, plucker etc.. Direct reading from zip, tar, gzip and bzip2 archives is also supported.

* Foxit Reader - pdf viewer

* Foxit reader is a very fast and efficient tool for opening, viewing, commenting and printing PDFs. Annotation tool: Foxit Reader allows you to draw graphics, highlight text, type text and make notes on a PDF document and then print out or save the annotated document. Save fillable forms after filling them out so you can continue anytime. Text converter: You may convert the whole PDF document into a simple text file. High security and privacy: Foxit Reader highly respects the security and privacy of users and will never connect to the Internet without users' permission while other PDF readers often silently connect.

* ArcSoft Webcam Companion - webcam tools

* ArcSoft WebCam Companion offers a broad range of applications designed and optimized for webcam use, whether utilized to record video or to take a special photo, ArcSoft WebCam Companion lets you get the most out of your netbook's webcam.

* Evernote - Note-Taking

* Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere.