Today Intel has announced upgraded design of Classmate PC at the annual Development Forum in Shanghai. The second generation of the Classmate PC is based on Intel Celeron M processor. However in near future, it may be replaced with a new family of low-power chips, called Intel Atom processors. You can call it a laptop designed for children. It has got 802.11b/g Wi-Fi set up with mesh network capability, a 9-inch LCD screen, 6-cell battery, 512MB memory, a 30GB hard disk drive and a built in webcam along with security functions such as water proof keyboard and shock protection if dropped.

Microsoft’s Windows XP and Linux are the compatible operating systems for classmates PC. More than 80 software and hardware vendors, content providers, educational services providers and local OEMs have been working with Intel to develop a complete infrastructure that supports the Intel-powered classmate PC.

It will also supports eight languages at initial release. The new Classmate will be available in market from this month for between $300 and $500. The new Classmate PC has a sleeker look than its predecessor, and so it will definitely hit the big market of PC users.

Only 5 percent of the world’s children today have access to a PC or to the Internet. So through this PC Intel wants to support the IT industry in spreading the benefits of technology in education for children around the world particularly in developing nations.