These are interesting times in the world of low price laptops. First to arrive was RM’s £169 Minibook which sold out of its first order of 6,000 within weeks. Now Elonex has launched the ONE model, at the knockdown price of £99. Both products are aimed at the schools market.

Underlying the arrival of these laptops is a concerted attempt to get around Microsoft’s iron grip on the market. Both machines use Linux open source software instead of Vista, which – even Becta admits – most schools find too hungry for resources and power.

These products are going to be popular because of their size (they have a 7" screen, weigh less than a kilo and can fit easily into a school bag), their low cost and the range of software that they come with. Students can access the internet, send emails and play music but the memory size makes it difficult for students to install computer games. The fact that the laptops run Linux and use open source applications is not immediately apparent.

Is it possible that Linux may soon replace Windows as the operating system of choice for most schools?

www.elonex.co.uk
www.rm.com