Neo eXplore X1
Since the Eee PC opened the gates for mass appeal ultramobiles, there's been a deluge of these subnotebooks. Historically speaking, the UMPCs of today owe a debt to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative. The Neo Explore X1 is the commercial version of Intel's Classmate PC project. As packaged, it's definitely targeted to a much younger set of users. There's no doubt that the X1 is inspired by the Fisher Price school of design with its extremely rounded corners. Putting it in its own bag seems to be optional since the wraparound case has an extended flap at the back the hinge that serves as a handle.
The version that we tested comes loaded with a starter version of Windows XP. We're not sure if kids are willing to wait as long as we did, but the boot-up time was painfully slow. Once it was up and running, it's one of the most basic Windows machine we've ever used. Considering that this is aimed at kids, this is exactly what the X1 should excel in. Rather than confound users with a gamut of choices, the X1 literally gets down to the basics. Of course before we got our hands on the unit, we loaned it to a Good Housekeeping editor, who also happened to be a mother of three kids. They took to it immediately and it says a lot (see sidebar) about the X1's overall ease of use.
As simple as it is, it would've been great to be able to upgrade some components. Unfortunately, there are no user upgradeable bits in the X1. Even the battery is screwed in. The other thing we didn't like was the placement of the SD slot at the back. You need to unlatch the flap to access it. Still, in the proper hands, it's the ideal educational computer. Ed Geronia Jr.
NEO EXPLORE X1 | P16,999
www.neo.com.ph
LOVE Spacious HDD. Rugged build.
HATE Might be too heavy for younger kids.
WE SAY A kiddiefied Eee PC that's ideal for tech savvy tots.
SCREEN 900MHz Intel Celeron M
HDD 30GB
RAM 512MB
NETWORK 10/100 LAN, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
SCREEN 7-inch, 800x480 LCD
BATTERY 3-4 hours
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T3 Magazine Philippines - July 2008 Issue
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 NEO EXPLORE X1
A mom's take on the X1:
"My kids love the cute-sized portability of it. They dragged it everywhere around the house while making cartoon movies and listening to music. Plus, it was very user-friendly, you don't have to be a genius to navigate your way through its various functions." – Jing Lejano.
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