Disney Netpal netbooks: Minnie laptop

By Matt Hickey on 17 June 2009, 11:35am

Disney and Asus have teamed up make something no one's really nailed yet: an affordable and functional portable PC for children. According to USA Today, it comes in the form of a netbook with an Intel Atom processor, a small, 8.9-inch screen, parental control options and desktops with customisable themes such as Cars, Toy Story, WALL-E and Hannah Montana.

The Netpal netbooks will have an unknown clock speed (our guess would be 1.6GHz) and will have a 16GB SSD or 160GB HD. They'll come preloaded with Windows XP, but they'll have another graphical interface layer over it so the kids can't break too much. We'd guess a locked-down Windows theme of some sort.

This means the computers can run actual commercial software, as well as access the Internet via Wi-Fi. Consumers can get one decked out in Mickey Mouse's 'Magic Blue' or Ariel's flowery 'Princess Pink' for $350 (£215) at Amazon or Toys R Us. UK prices and availability haven't yet been announced.