Disney, in partnership with Asus, is set to launch a new netbook called Disney Netpal that will be targeted at kids ages six to 12 and will come with features such as parental controls and a customized Disney user interface.
“This is not a toy,” says Thompson Richmond, director of consumer electronics for Disney Consumer Products. “It’s a real product with features that you can put safely into the hands of kids.”
It just happens to come in pink, with lacey curlicues and a big Disney logo right in the middle.
The $350 netbook will be available in August. Here’s a quick hands on with the Netpal and its key features.
Design
The Disney netbooks are rebranded Asus Eee PCs so if you are familiar with the Asus look and design, there’s a sense of deja vu with the Disney Netpal.
The Netpal will be available in two colors: “blue for boys and pink for girls.” The pink is a Pepto-Bismol pink and has floral patterns on the netbook cover, while the blue is more muted.
The keyboard is built to be “spill-proof,” says Richmond, and the corners of the netbook have been reinforced to ensure it doesn’t crack easily.
The netbook has a 8.9-inch display, Wi-Fi connectivity and comes with the option of a 160 GB hard drive or a 16 GB solid state drive.
In terms of hardware alone, there’s little to distinguish the machine from its peers. In that respect Dell’s latest netbook targeted at kids, which has a rubber-like case and an anti-microbial keyboard, surpasses the Netpal.
User Interface
Where Disney hopes to score over rivals like Dell is in the user experience. Like most netbooks, the Netpal runs Windows XP Home, but it offers two modes on start up: a standard desktop, which turns it into a run-of-the-mill netbook, and a Disney desktop option, which is where all the action is.
The Disney desktop mode allows multiple profiles to be created and the profiles can be customized with icons from the Disney stable such as Mickey Mouse or Snow White.
In the Disney desktop mode, the netbook includes programs such as Disney Pix, a software application that lets users customize photos; Radio Disney, which endlessly belts out music from Taylor Swift and Jonas Brothers; games; and a customized Disney browser.
There are also Disney desktop themes, with choice that ranges from Cars to Hannah Montana.
Parental Controls
Parental controls are the netbook’s cornerstone for Disney. Since the Netpal is for children, the parental controls are a must and Disney’s netbook integrates the software well into the device.
For instance, in the Disney desktop mode with parental controls running, all emails sent and received by the kid need to be approved by the parent. The customized browser also creates a list of restricted and approved sites.
“We wanted to create a user interface that’s fun, easy and safe to use,” says Richmond.
Overall
Adult users are confused between netbooks and notebooks and dissatisfaction with these pint-sized machines runs high, according to a NPD survey. Performance and ease of use of the keyboard remain key issues.
But Disney seems to have its target audience neatly carved out. The netbook will retail at Amazon.com and Toys’R’Us.
If you can get past the incessant Disney branding and the heavy gender stereotyping, the Netpal has some kid-friendly features that just might make this a good netbook for tiny tots.
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
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