Well, what do you Kno? All Things D’s Kara Swisher reports that Kno, the company making huge (14.1”) single-screened and double-screened tablets for educational purposes, has announced it is commencing manufacture and disclosed the units’ pricing. The single-screened device will be $599, and the double-screened, clamshell-like device will be $899.
The devices are being built by Foxconn, the suicide-plagued Chinese manufacturer of the iPhone, and Kno’s CEO Osman Rashid has said the initial run will number “in the thousands” and are targeted at 10 US college campuses (though he would not say which ones).
Rashid said they commenced manufacturing after hearing good results from a number of students who used the single- and double-screened devices in beta tests.
“We found that 85 percent of those using the single screen wanted the dual-screen version and that those using two screens took three times more notes,” said Rashid. “Students said they love the fact that they can write in the textbook itself and it appears the way it needs to be, even in digital form.”
The pricing seems fairly competitive with the smaller iPad, though of course the devices are aimed at different primary markets. It is going to be interesting to see how this works out. Has the perfect educational tablet finally arrived? I’m still a little skeptical of the weight and bulk issue; something the size and weight of a laptop doesn’t seem to me like it will be the most convenient to hold and use like a book.
(Found via Engadget.)
