The market for low-power, portable computer systems has increased significantly since the release of Intel's highly successful Atom processor, and this trend is expected to continue throughout this year, as a high number of system vendors have already introduced their own Atom-based designs. Such is the case with PeeWee PC, a manufacturer of computer products and accessories for children, which has recently announced its new Pivot Tablet Laptop, an Atom-powered netbook that is featured with a rugged, spill and drop resistant chassis.

“We design all our computers to meet the needs of both our young end users and their parents,” said Oscar Ferreria. “This means creating products that are both fun and durable, but most importantly, safe. We all understand the drawbacks associated with giving children internet access, and there is no way any child should be browsing the internet without advanced security software.”

According to the specifications of the PeeWee Pivot Tablet laptop, the portable PC is designed on the Intel 945GSE chipset, which has been combined with the 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM (upgradeable to 2GB), a 1.8-inch 60GB hard-drive and an 8.9-inch LCD 1024 by 600 touchscreen display. The laptop also boasts 2 USB 2.0 ports, one Ethernet Lan port, Microphone-in and Headphone out jacks, 2-in-1 memory card reader, a Kensington lock and a VGA port. On the connectivity side, children will also be able to connect to the Internet using the integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support.

Additional features of the PeeWee Pivot Tablet laptop include a tablet sensor and accelerometer, a carrying handle, a water resistant keyboard and a 6-cell battery pack. Weighing less than 3 lbs, the laptop runs on Microsoft's Windows XP Home operating system and is packed with $179 worth of 10 Age-targeted software applications. Price-wise, you are looking at a nettop that will run for $599,99.