BIOS: Technology Means Business

NEC Computers has revealed the first laptop of its kind available in the UK, designed specifically for the education market. Equipped with most of the latest technologies and top of the range security, the NEC Generation is set to break the mould in educational ICT.

The company hopes it will help it to move firmly at the forefront of product development for this sector. Based on a new breed of laptop, the specially designed Generation combines maximum security with distinctive design to provide high performance coupled with NEC’s proven Versa technology.

It is a unique, customised product tailored towards the specific needs of today’s education population as well as satisfying the demands of both parents and teachers.

Key features include and thin and light (2.2kg) design, making it relatively easy to carry in a school bag, and comprehensive connectivity (802.11b/g wireless networking, Bluetooth, infrared, and FireWire).

It also ships with a 14-inch widescreen TFT display (1280x800 pixels), security solutions, extended battery life, and Intel’s Centrino mobile technology (based on the i915GM chipset). There’s also Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition pre-installed, 512MB DDR RAM, 40GB hard disk drive, and dual-layer DVD drive.

A major advantage of the Generation is that its usage rights can be defined for the child by a parent or teacher when first booting up the laptop. These rights are linked to the child’s login, which to the end user is a mere fingerprint - meaning no password to remember.

It also means that traditional hacking methods such as dictionary attack or brute force will not work - rendering it useless to a potential thief. Once secured, user access can be controlled with the NEC security control panel, allowing the enabling or disabling of access to USB ports and optical drive, with an option to prevent the installation of unauthorised software.

The laptop comes with a range of physical measures besides the standard Kensington Lock Slot, including: the hardware fingerprint security chip; a Stoptrack anti-theft label and Webtrack geographical tracking software. In addition, NEC’s 24/7 managed anti-virus protection with McAfee Technology and automatic Web updates ensures maximum data protection. The unit is also covered by a three year anti-theft insurance, as standard.

NEC’s Generation is available from now via NEC channel partners. Prices start from £649.

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