Credit: ZDNet

ASUS was one of the first companies to offer a netbook for kids in Disney Netpal netbook. It is essentially a 8.9 inch netbook that comes with a bunch of features targeting the young. HP is getting in this business as well. HP Mini 100e Education Edition’s 10.1 inch screen and 92 percent of full size QWERTY keyboard are standard. The fact that it has a regular modem (though you can upgrade to WiFi) is not exactly encouraging.

HP is committed to helping schools adapt to students’ changing needs and to creating solutions that provide better interactivity, connectivity and learning…The HP Mini 100e is an affordable, feature-rich device that helps ensure every student has the tools needed for success in their academic endeavors,

said Dan Forlenza, vice president and general manager, Business Notebooks, Personal Systems Group, HP. This netbook is a tad bit rugged and spill-resistant. It comes with an Atom N455 processor, Intel NM10 Express chipset, and 1 GB DDR3 RAM. It’s pretty standard in that regard.

It’s tough to get excited about this netbook. An iPad is much more kid friendly and has plenty of apps that can make learning more fun for students. It’s not that much more expensive and easier to carry around than a 3 pounder of a netbook. Nice effort by HP, but I am afraid there are better options out there.