While classrooms in other parts of the world are getting their hands on iPads, select schools in Russia will be getting something a little more kid friendly with the Plastic Logic 100, which is more of an e-reader rather than a full fledged tablet like the iPad 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The Plastic Logic 100 e-reader tablet is targeted at students in grade 6 and 7, ranging from ages 12 to 14 and it will be available for 12,000 rubles ($397). What makes this more kid-friendly is due to the device not being made out of glass, which means not only is it light, its display is supposedly “shatterproof”, which means in the hands of school children, parents need not worry about having to replace the e-readers on a frequent basis.
In terms of specs, the Plastic Logic 100 will be sporting an 800MHz processor, 4GB of internal memory and a 150ppi 10” display. It will be running on a customized version of Windows CE with a user interface that has been designed specifically for use in schools as an electronic textbook. Its battery has been reported to last a week, which means excuses like “my textbook ran out of battery” will not be accepted.
The Plastic Logic 100 will come loaded up with more than 40 books, covering a range of subjects that will be taught in grades 6 and 7. Unfortunately no word if the tablet will make its way to the US.