Lenovo and Intel have announced a new Classmate+ academic notebook designed for students in grades K-8. Based on the Intel Learning Series reference design, Lenovo has tweaked the system to its liking and stamped it with its own brand. Nonetheless, the system will come pre-loaded with Intel's Learning Series software suite along with other specialized educational software.

"Lenovo is the first multi-national company to offer the Intel Learning Series classmate PC for the global education market," said Kapil Wadhera, GM of Intel's Education Markets Platforms Group. "We are thrilled to welcome Lenovo to the Intel Learning Series Alliance and to work with them to extend the platforms availability to benefit more students and teachers around the world."


Lenovo's Classmate+ features a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display, a single-core 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455, 1GB or 2GB of RAM, and 160GB/250GB of mechanical storage or 8GB/16GB of flash storage. It also has a 1.3MP webcam, two 1.5W speakers, 802.11n Wi-Fi, a 4-in-1 card reader, three USB 2.0 ports, a three or six-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Basic or Premium in 32-bit or 64-bit.

As with all Classmate notebooks, the latest entry offers a degree of ruggedness you might not find in other 10.1-inch mobile PCs, such as a spill-resistant keyboard and drop-resistant body. The Classmate+ is available immediately, but Lenovo is only selling them in bulk to qualified education and government customers. Pricing varies depending on your configuration and location.