Remember the Intel Convertible Classmate netbook tablet, with its full name CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2? We’ve presented it here and here on All Touch Tablet.com. Now it’s shipping, with prices starting 499$.

    You might think it’s a little too much for a netbook tablet, but price is not that bad considering it’s a rugged tablet and we want extra protection for a gadget we know our kids will use, don’t we?

    While it seems that a 599$ version with Windows 7 preinstalled and 32 GB SSD drive will be available later this year, let’s see what a 499$ educational computer will get you:

    • Atom N450 CPU @ 1.66 GHz
    • 1 GB RAM
    • 160 GB hard drive
    • 10 inch screen with 1024 x 600 pixels resistive touchscreen (no multi-touch support)
    • 4-cell battery
    • 3.7 pounds weight
    • Accelerometer
    • WiFi 802.11n, 2 USB ports and 4-in-1 card reader
    • optional WiMAX, 3G and GPS
    • Spill-resistant keyboard
    • Rubberized exterior casing
    • Windows XP Home Edition
    • Intel Blue Dolphin touch interface on top of Windows OS

    You know the first impressions from our first preview of CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2, so let’s see what others have to say about it. Engadget managed to review the 599$ sample with Windows 7 and they loved it. They did miss the multitouch support but say that the screen is pretty responsive any way and you won’t feel too much that it’s resistive by nature. The accelerometer is not that precise and it takes a while for the screen to switch orientation, but it’s manageable.

    Let’s face it, the CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2 has almost anything you need for a portable computer that you could use for fun, work and outdoor trips. It’s not so cheap as I would expect from an educational computer, as 499$ is what you pay now for a Core i3 unsubsidized laptop, so it’s not going to be popular in third world countries if local government won’t discount it somehow. Get yours now from Amazon if you feel like you want to be a student again or you have kids.