Thread: HCL's MiLeap X low cost laptop

INTEL'S CLASSMATE PC isn't just for students anymore. HCL plans to sell a version of the Classmate PC to consumers in India who want a rugged, low-cost laptop.
Priced at Rs. 13,990, HCL's MiLeap X laptop uses the same beefy case as the Classmate pc. But HCL which signed an agreement with Intel last year to produce the Class¬mate PC -insists there is little in common. "It is a totally different product," said George Paul, executive VP at HCL Infosysterns.

The specifications of the MiLeap X suggest other-wise. Both computers have a 7inch LCD screen with 800 pixel by 480-pixel resolution, a 900MHz Celeron M processor, Wi-Fi, and 2G bytes of flash memory for storage instead of a hard drive. They also use the same chipset, Intel's 915GMS. The main difference appears to be a minor aes thetic change: The MiLeap X's vinyl cover more closely resembles a business folio than the blue covers typically found on the Classmate pc.

The MiLeap X also comes with HCL's logo emblazoned below the display. Paul acknowledged the MiLeap X can be considered a "derivative" of the Classmate PC since both computers use similar technologies, but said Significant differences exist between the two products. He did not specify what those differences are. Nor Badron, an Intel spokesman, confirmed the MiLeap X is based on the Classmate pc.
The basic Classmate PC systems are supplied by Intel and manufacturers such as HCL configure the computers and install software to meet the needs of their customers, Badron said, adding that Intel was "extremely supportive" of HCL's plans to develop a Classmate PC version for consumers and business users.