Intel to Introduce the Silverthorne Processor to the Classmate PC

A week after having parted ways with Nicholas Negroponte's OLPC, Intel announced an updated version of their Classmate sub-notebook, targeted at the third-world school children.

The refurbished Classmate PC will be based on the upcoming Silverthorne processor aimed at ultramobile PCs and mobile Internet devices. According to Navin Shenoy, general manager of Intel's Asia-Pacific operations, the new version of the rugged notebook will be sleeker and will be more energy-efficient than the actual version.

"It's fair to say that there is a Silverthorne-based Classmate design in the works that would likely come out coincidentally with the microprocessor," Shenoy said. The Silverthorne processor is known for both its low-power consumption and for its small size. It is part of Intel's ultra-mobile platform, codenamed "Menlow" that includes the upcoming Poulsbo chipset. Silverthorne is a dual-core chip aimed at the mobile internet devices and at the ultra-portable notebooks such as Intel's Classmate or Asustek's Eee PC.

Currently, the Classmate is heavier and bigger than the One Laptop Per Child's XO sub-notebooks, but, at the same time, it offers improved performance. The classmate weighs 1.4 kilograms and features a 900-MHz Celeron M processor, 256MB of RAM and 2GB of NAND flash memory.

The laptop is shipping with a pre-installed version of Windows XP, which lifts its selling price at about $285. The notebook features wireless connectivity, but lacks the mesh networking capabilities that are so popular among the XO laptop users.

Intel plans to develop its low-cost notebook business, as these products have become more and more popular with both children and adults. Asustek's Eee PC has been the last year's bestseller in the sub-notebook segment.