Asus, Disney create the first “Netpal”
Posted in This Just In... on June 17th, 2009 by gkrakow
Asus makes great small, portable computers. Netbooks. Disney is the king of everything for kids (of all ages). What happens when Asus and Disney team-up to make a Netbook for kids? You get the world’s first “Netpal”.
First of all, the new little laptop will have to appeal to kids ages 6-12 as well as their parents.
For kids, it will come in two colors: Magic Blue (with Mickey Mouse icons) and Princess Pink (floral theme). That should work. And the new “Magic Desktop” interface will be pure Disney – with ten customizable themes from such Disney and Pixar favorites as Club Pengiun, Toy Story, Wal-E, Mickey Mouse and Hannah Montana.
For parents, it will have a spill-proof keyboard. It will also sport a new form of filtering/censorship software that works differently from most others. This time, parents will be able to list the Websites the kids CAN enter – instead of blocking the ones they don’t want them to see. Parents will also be able to tailor e-mail options and even the time of day their kids’ Netpal can be used.
The computer itself will be based on an Asus Eee netbook with the 8.9-in. LCD display and Wi-Fi. It will be run Windows XP Home – and a truckload of software featuring – what else? Disney characters. It will come with either a 16 GB solid-state storage drive or a 160 GB hard drive and will retail for $350.
Disney’s Netpal should be available mid-summer at online retailers such as Toys “R” Us and Amazon.com. Disney notes in their press release that carrying cases will be available separately.