The NorhTec Gecko Edubook is one of the most innovative netbooks around when it comes to hardware design. It runs on rechargeable AA batteries, making it easy to find replacements pretty much anywhere in the world. The OS and all the data is stored on an SD card, making it easy to upgrade. And the CPU and RAM are on a single chip which you can pop out and replace just as easily as changing a stick of RAM in most notebooks.

But there’s a down side. The 1GHz XCore86 CPU is pretty slow. And you take a performance hit when you run a relatively heavy operating system such as Windows XP or Ubuntu from an SD card. And that’s why I noted recently that Windows XP and WattOS Linux both felt pretty darn sluggish on this system. Sure, it’s not supposed to be good enough for watching Flash video from YouTube. But it also took an unreasonably long time to load the OS, launch programs, or even open web pages.

While these things might not be as important if you’re looking for a sub-$200 laptop to deploy across schools in developing nations, they definitely make the Edubook feel a lot slower than most other netbooks on the market.

Taking a suggestion from the folks at NorhTec, today I tried tweaking Windows XP a bit by disabling system restore, and indexing features, and adjusting the theme and a few other elements to improve performance. Overall, this helped a bit. For instance, programs launched a little faster, and I could get some videos to play, although the audio and video were out of sync.

But overall Windows XP was still pretty annoying to use. Fortunately, I picked up an 8GB SD card with a version of Puppy Linux optimized for the Edubook at CES. I popped off the netbook cover, slid out the old SD card and replaced it with the new one, and less than a minute later Puppy was up and running. And it felt like a whole new computer!

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After having played around with an 8.9 inch NorhTec Gecko Edubook for the past few weeks, I got a chance to meet up with the folks from NorhTec at CES. They were showing off several new devices including an upcoming 10 inch netbook and the recently launched Gecko Surfboard computer-in-a-keyboard.

There was also a demo unit of the 8.9 inch netbook running Puppy Linux. While Windows XP and WattOS both felt pretty sluggish on NorhTec’s Edubook with its slow 1GHz XCore86 processor, Puppy absolutely flew. I’m looking forward to testing this light weight Linux distribution on the Edubook more once I get back to the home office.

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The NorhTec Gecko Edubook is unlike pretty much any other netbook on the market right now. Sure, it has an 8.9 inch. 1024 x 600 pixel display and a small keyboard. But it has an unusual 1GHz XCore86 CPU which can be popped out and easily replaced. The entire OS runs from an internal SD card, which is also removable. And while Lithium Polymer battery packs are available, the system is also designed to run on normal NiMH rechargeable AA batteries.

All of this means that this low cost laptop is modular, easy to upgrade and easy to fix. If your batteries run down, you can just go out and buy some new rechargeable AAs to replace them instead of sending away for an expensive battery pack from the manufacturer. NorhTec advises against using alkaline batteries, since the power cable is designed to charge the batteries while plugged in.

Although a number of Linux and open source hackers have expressed an interest in the Edubook, it’s aimed squarely at education markets in developing nations. A single Edubook costs just under $200. If you order $10,000 units, the price drops to $145. If you happen to be in a position where you can order 100,000 you can get the price down to under $100.  although it’s also proving popular with Linux and open source hackers.

OK, that’s the cool part. Here’s the less cool part: It’s slow. Very, very slow.

Now, to be fair, the NorhTec Gecko Edubooks is not designed as a laptop replacement for users in the developed world. As such, it’s probably not surprising that it’s slow to boot, applications are slow to load, and multitasking performance is subpar. The question is: are these things OK for a child in Africa? If it means getting access to a computer that might not otherwise be available, perhaps. And because you’ll be able to pop out the system-on-a-chip CPU and replace it with an updated model when they’re available, we could see faster versions in the future.

The demo system that NorhTec sent me shipped with WattOS, a light weight Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. I had a chance to experiment with WattOS on the Edubook for a little while, and then I decided to install Windows XP using the driver disc that NorhTec provided. You can check out video overviews of each OS after the break.

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The folks at NorhTec just sent me an interesting netbook to play with. You can check out my unboxing and hands-on video after the break, as well as a peek beneath the hood. But first, here’s a bit of info about why the NorhTec Gecko Edubook isn’t like other netbooks.

I mean sure, it has an 8.9 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display and can run Windows or Linux. But that’s about it for the similarities. Here’s a brief list of things that makes the Edubook stand out from the crowd:

• It can run on rechargeable NiMH AA batteries.
• It uses a 1GHz Xcore86 CPU that uses 1.2 watts of power and is x86-compatible.
• The whole laptop uses just 6.5 watts of power.
• There’s an internal SD card slot for storage plus room for a 2.5 inch hard drive.
• Individual units go for just $199.95. It’s even cheaper if you order in bulk (100,000 units will get you a price of $99.95 each, while $10,000 units cost $145 each).

The Edubook is also fanless and can be used in high temperature environments without cooling.

The netbook is designed for educational purposes, although NorhTec says there’s been a lot of interest from open source enthusiasts and Linux hackers. The entire system is designed to be modular. You can even pop out the CPU and replace it easily, and the idea is that NorhTec can either sell you assembled units or a batch of barebones units that you can assemble on-site. For instance, you might be able to pick up some of the components such as SD cards cheaper in your own country.

The unit I’m reviewing has 512MB of RAM, an 8GB SD card, an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, a 1GHz Xcore86 system-on-a-chip, 8 NiMH AA batteries, 3 USB ports, WiFi, Ethernet, and mic and headphone jacks. The Edubook is also available with Lithium Polymer battery packs which can provide more run time than the NiMH AA batteries.

The RAM is on the same module as the CPU. So you’ll be able to buy a new chip with an upgraded processor and/or more memory when they become available without replacing the entire computer.

There’s no power brick. Instead you plug the power cable directly into the back of the computer.

The notebook isn’t designed to be a speed demon and I don’t expect it to outperform similarly sized laptops in its class. Instead, it’s designed as a durable, customizable, and low cost machine for use in educational settings, developing nations, and other places where price is more important than the ability to play Call of Duty 4.

It’s a little thicker than I would expect from a typical 9 inch netbook, and the keyboard and touchpad are uncomfortably small for adult hands. But they’re designed for school children, not for me.

You can check out two hands-on videos with the Edubook after the break.

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Asus isn’t the only company working on a device that packs a whole computer into a slightly chunky keyboard. NorhTec, makers of the low cost, low-power Gecko EduBook netbook plan to bring a new device called the Gecko Surfboard to market.

The Surfboard uses a low power x86-compatible system-on-a-chip that combines processor, graphics and memory functions. All told, the computer uses just 5 watts of power and runs cool enough to operate without a fan. NohrTec says the computer is about the size of a typical computer keyboard, although it looks a little thick to me.

The computer will be able to run Windows XP, Linux, or Windows CE.

Unlike the Eee Keyboard, the Gecko Surfboard is not meant for use as a multimedia device. It doesn’t have an HDMI output and probably can’t handle HD video playback very well. Instead, it’s designed as a low power, low cost primary computer. It has a VGA output for a monitor and composite jacks for plugging in a TV if a monitor isn’t available. It also has Ethernet, headphone, mic, and USB ports for plugging in a mouse and other peripherals, as well as a good old fashioned serial port.

You also get 512MB of RAM and two SDHC slots for removable and/or semi-permanent storage. There’s also room for a 2.5 inch HDD inside the keyboard if you want to go that route.

The $99 model won’t include WiFi, but you can add 802.11b/g and/or 3G WiFi for a fee.

via SlashGear

NorhTec is preparing to launch a new netbook that stands out from the crowd in a number of ways. First, the Gecko EduBook (PDF link) will feature a low power 1GHz Xcore86 CPU that can run Windows XP while using just 1.2 watts of power (although by default it will come with Ubuntu Netbook Remix). Second, this laptop doesn’t use a standard battery pack. Instead, it runs on 8 AA batteries, providing between 4 and 6 hours of run time with NiMH or Lithium Ion batteries. If you happen to run out of juice while you’re away from a charger, you can always just pop in some standard alkaline batteries off-the-shelf NiMH batteries.

The EduBook also features a modular design, with the CPU and RAM on a replaceable module that you can upgrade to give the computer new life — assuming Norhtec eventually releases an upgrade.

The netbook will have an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display and use either a 2.5″ hard disk or an internal SD card for storage. The EduBook has an internal USB socket that wireless carriers (or hackers) can use to connect accessories including 3G modems, GPS, or Bluetooth modules. There are also 3 external USB ports and an SD card reader.

The laptop is available with 256MB, 512MB, or 1GB of RAM. NorhTec says the base configuration could start as low as $200.

I hadn’t thought of NorhTec for a while, until Engadget posted about the Geck EduBook this morning. The original NorhTec Gecko was one of the first netbooks to hit the market in early 2008, back when there was actually a little diversity in the netbook space. The original Gecko has a 7 inch, 800  480 pixel display, a 1GHz VIA C7-M CPU, and ran Linpus Linux Lite. It had just 256MB of RAM and 1GB of flash storage, which didn’t exactly make the machine a powerhouse.

You can watch a video overview of the new NorhTec Gecko EduBook after the break. You can also find more details in the Liliputing Product Database.

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