Dell is launching a new line of netbooks, aimed squarely at the educational market. The Dell Latitude 2100 features the same Intel Atom N270 CPU we’ve come to know and love, and other standard netbook components, including an optional solid state disk and a low starting price of $369. But it also has a few kid-friendly features like rubberized cases in a variety of colors (including yellow, green, blue, and red), and an optional handle and shoulder strap. Dell is also offering an optional docking cart that schools can use to store and charge up to 24 netbooks.

Information on the Latitude 2100 first leaked out in March. But with today’s official launch comes one of the first detailed reviews of the new netbooks. Our friends at Laptop Magazine have posted a review of a Latitude 2100 that’s configured at the $499 level with a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 576 pixel display, 16GB SSD, and Windows XP Home.

It’s interesting to note that at 10.4″ x 7.4″ x 1.6″ and weighs 3.4 pounds with the optional 6 cell batter. In other words, the Dell Latitude 2100 is one of the thickest, bulkiest netbooks around. Typically mini-laptops designed for children are small and have cramped keyboards. But thanks to its larger sized, Laptop Magazine reports the Latitude 2100 has a roomy keyboard and touchpad, even for people with adult-sized hands.

The Dell Latitude 2100 will be available with a number of options including storage ranging from a 16GB SSD to a 250GB hard drive. The laptop is available with Windows XP, Vista, or Ubuntu Linux. Dell will even offer a touchscreen option.

Netbooks are small, light, and cheap. And that makes them excellent devices for consumers and professionals on the go. But those same features also make the netbooks interesting to educators. The OLPC XO Laptop, arguably the first netbook, was designed specifically for students. But any low cost laptop with a smaller than average screen and keyboard could hold some advantages for teachers and students.

Channel Insider reports that Acer has been offering 30 day free trials of its netbooks to schools since November. About 1200 schools have taken Acer up on the offer so far, and around two thirds of them eventually decided to purchase Acer Aspire One laptops.

Teachers say the laptops offer performance that’s good enough for their needs, and their low profile means they don’t take up much space on a students’ desk. You can also buy several netbooks for the price of one full sized Apple computer.

Netbooks may be popular around the world. But apparently they’re selling like hot cakes in Australia (do people like hot cakes in Australia?), because the Sydney Morning Herald reports that 1 in 10 computers sold in the country are netbooks. That’s largely due to the low cost of modern mini-laptops. But another factor is a tax refund that allows parents to claim between $375 and $750 in education expenses for each child in elementary or secondary school.

In other words, the tax refund should easily cover the cost of a netbook and maybe some pens, paper and schoolbooks too.

Netbooks are also well designed for students because they’re small and light, which means they’re not going to break your kids back when you slip them in a backpack. And the tiny keyboards that might seem to small for adult fingers are just right for kids. But the Morning Herald does erroneously claim that netbooks might be better than full sized laptops because students can’t use them to play video games or watch YouTube videos during class. While most netbooks aren’t going to handle Crysis very well, I dare say a student could find just as many ways to slack off using a netbook as a larger laptop.

What do you think? Have you bought a netbook for a vertically challenged person in your life? Or do you see mini-laptops as productivitiy tools for full grown adults?

There’s just a bit over a week left on the Liliputing Education Challenge. We’re asking readers to consider donating a few bucks (or more) to schools and classrooms that need technology to help improve the quality of education available for their students.

The education challenge is part of the DonorsChoose 2008 bloggers challenge.I’ve selected a handful of tech related requests because, well, this is a tech site. But there are hundreds of other requests out there that are at least as worthwhile.

If you’ve got a few dollars to spare, please consider making a donation. It doesn’t have to be much. Every little bit helps. You can donate by visiting the Liliputing Education Challenge page or by clicking on the widget at the top of this post. All donations are tax deductable.

It’s been another busy week in the world of Liliputers. We’ve seen a number of companies offer price drops or rebates on netbooks like the MSI Wind, HP 2133 Mini-Note, and Medion Akoya Mini. And the much-anticipated Samsung NC10 received its first review this week, and then started showing up on pre-order pages from US retailers. Here are a few more of the top stories from the week that was:

• 5 second boot coming to netbooks
  A team of Intel engineers demonstrated this week that you don’t need to wait 30 seconds or longer to boot a fully functional Linux desktop. With a little tweaking, sometimes all it takes is 5 seconds
• MSI, Canonical: Linux-based netbooks returned more often
  A lot of folks were hoping that the popularity of Linux among netbook makers would lead to a growth in Linux popularity among consumers. But it turns out that computers preloaded with Linux are returned more often than those with Windows.
• Asus plans to release touchscreen and dual core Eee PCs
  Asus could release Eee PC models with touchscreens early next year. The company has also said it will release computers with dual-core Intel Atom CPUs as soon as they’re available, and that a $300 netbook is coming soon.
• Mac Tablet: Installing OS X on the Gigabyte M912X
  Want an $800 tablet PC running OS X? Just install the operating system on the Gigabyte M912 touchscreen netbook. Everything appears to work, including touchscreen input.
• MSI Wind U120 photos released
  MSI has released the first press shots of the successor to the wildly popular MSI Wond U100. And it sure looks purty.
• Best Buy: Netbooks aren’t really laptops
  Best Buy is starting to carry netbooks alongside full sized laptops in its bricks and mortar store and on its website. But the company doesn’t seem to fully understand just what a netbook is. Either that, or Best Buy wants you to buy two or three computers, not just one. You be the judge.

And finally, I want to remind you that the Liliputing Education Challenge will continue throughout the month of October. If you have a few bucks to spare, even $1 or $5 donations are accepted. We’re helping raise money for teachers and students who can’t afford the computers and other technology they need as part of the DonorsChoose Bloggers Challenge 2008. All donations are tax deductable. You can donate by visiting the Liliputing Education Challenge page or by clicking on the widget in the sidebar.

I just wanted to remind you that we’re still accepting donations for the Liliputing Education Challenge. Liliputing and dozens of other blogs are partnering with DonorsChoose, a charitable organization that helps make it possible for teachers to acquire the supplies they need to help their students learn and grow. 

I’ve selected a handful of technology related requests to help fund. You can choose from the list at the Liliputing Education Challenge page.  Or if you see other projects that you think Liliputing readers should be aware of, let me know and I’ll add them to the page. 

You can make donations of any size. Every few bucks helps. And all donations are tax deductable. You can also make donations through the widget at the top of this post or the widget in the Liliputing sidebar. The widget will be in the sidebar for the duration of the DonorsChoose blogger’s challenge which runs throughout the month of October. So if you can’t afford to make a donation today, please consider helping out after your next paycheck. 

Most importantly, Liliputing is getting its butt kicked by other tech blogs like Engadget and TechCrunch. Let’s show them what we’re made of!

We spend a lot of time obsessing over the latest gizmos, gadgets, and whatnot. But the truth is, there are many people who could really use a computer, a camera, or other technology who can’t afford it. That’s why Liliputing is joining in this year’s DonorsChoose challenge.

I’ve selected a small group of projects in need of contributions. We’re talking about teachers who are looking for computers to help their kids learn basic skills like reading and writing. Some of the teachers are looking for help buying equipment to put together a student paper or magazine. Others want to help their students learn English.

There are many other worthy projects on the DonorsChoose page. I’ve chosen a few technology oriented requests, because as Liliputing readers I’m sure you realize how important computer literacy can be for a student’s success in life. If you see other projects that you think we should consider, let me know and I’ll add them to the page.

So here’s how it works. You can visit the Liliputing DonorsChoose page and donate as much or as little money as you’re comfortable with. Every little bit helps. You can also click through the widget after the jump or at the bottom of the Liliputing sidebar.

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