Norhtec Edubook: Finally an innovative Netbook

With the mass of "me too" Netbooks that are released these days I was almost incredulous when the French web site Blogeee announced the Norhtec Edubook.

The design of the Edubook sets it completely apart from all the Atom powered Netbooks out there. Firs it uses an X86 compatible system on a chip that I never heard of: the Xcore86. That processor include and X86 core, sound, video and wired networking in one chip consuming less than 2 watts at 1 GHz. When you consider that an Atom + chipset consumes close to 10W this is an achievement that can very well upset the Netbook processor war! Since this processor uses an X86 core it is compatible with Windows and Linux, and the manufacturer announced that both Windows XP and Ubuntu Would be available.

Another innovation comes from the power supply: not only is the power brick inside the machine (very convenient for traveling) but the machine can be powered for 4 hours using standard NiMH AA batteries. This means that the Norhtec Edubook is a machine that can potentially last much longer than a traditional Netbook because it will be easy to replace the batteries when they wear out! One of the biggest problems with LiON batteries is that they tend to wear out after 3 years, and since they are usually proprietary it is often easier to replace the Netbook that track the proper battery.

For storage the Norhtec Edubook accepts SD cards or an IDE SSD. Since both can easily be replaced when they wear out the longevity of the machine is assured. There is no included wireless adapter but an internal USB port is available to add the type of adapter your network requires. 3 external USB port will be also available.

What remains to be seen is the capabilities of the Xcore86 processor. It will almost certainly be powerful enough to play music and SD videos, as well as for light surfing and document processing. Online flash videos (Youtube) on the other hand may prove a challenge as these use a lot of CPU power, and this may be a deal breaker for many. That being said if they can meet the planned $200 price point this could be an ideal machine for high school students, and definitely something different from the average Netbook. Now what remains to be seen is if the Norhtec Edubook will ever reach the US or Europe.

Read more in the Netbook Category.