Asus, Disney create the first “Netpal”
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.