Dell’s school netbook seems priceworthy to me!

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 12:37

Opinion and Analysis

Prices are certainly cheaper for virtually everything in the US, and the Dell Latitude 2100 is no exception.

While they start at AUD $700 down under, ZDNet's Dawson points out that the 2100 sells for US $369 over there, while an Acer netbook model with similar specs sells for US $269.

But with the Acer model not being specifically designed for educational users, how many lots of US $269 are parents going to be willing to pony up for if accidental damage occurs, rather than going for a more rugged and educationally-designed netbook in the first place?

Sometimes it’s worth paying a bit more for quality, to avoid having to replace a broken product in the not-too-distant future.

That's not to say the Acer is flimsy, but are any of the other models on today's market truly designed for everyday educational use in a demanding school environment and surviving in a child's backpack?

Given Dell’s 2100 has only launched today, no-one yet knows just how rugged these netbooks will truly be in the hands of students, and the reviews of actual student users will be very interesting to read in the days, weeks and months ahead.

But claiming right from the word “go” that Dell’s product is overpriced – especially when it specifically offers features and benefits unavailable in competing models, be they cheaper or not - just seems like a cheap shot to me!