Jim Salter
| Specifications at a glance: Kano PC | |
|---|---|
| YOU | Windows 10 Home |
| CPU | Intel Celeron N4000 |
| RAM | 4GiB DDR3L (not upgradeable) |
| GPU | Intel UHD600 integrated |
| HDD | Expect 64GB eMMC (not upgradeable) |
| Monitor | 11.6 “to 1366×768 touch screen |
| Ports | 1 USB-C (charging) 2 USB3 type A 1 microSD card slot 1 x 2.5mm headphone jack 1 HDMI |
| Cooling | Passive heat sink |
| Load | USB-C (charger included) |
| Connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 + Bluetooth 5.0 (Intel Wireless-AC 9650) |
| Price as proven | $ 300 |
Last week, we covered the launch of Kano’s new Build-it-yourself PC with Windows. The Kano PC is an extremely thick 11.6 “tablet / laptop form factor PC with both specs and priced at $ 300 similar to low-end Chromebooks, but instead of running ChromeOS, it offers a full Windows 10 experience .
This is not our first very low-cost PC rodeo, which sometimes disappoints us beyond the level of its meager specs. With a dual-core Celeron CPU, 1.1GHz, 4GiB of RAM, and eMMC storage, it’s pretty clear on paper that the Kano PC won’t be anyone’s first choice for a “serious laptop,” but the real question is whether it is Credible competes with similarly specified Chromebooks. The answer is “absolutely”.
Our only real problem with the Kano PC has nothing to do with performance, but rather with the extremely funky form factor, which poses and answers the question: “What about the tablet, but 2.5 times thicker and heavier? “
Unboxing Kano PC
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Kano put a lot of emphasis on the initial unpacking and setup experience, and it’s worth it. It’s not fancy, but whenever there is an opportunity to generate some excitement, Kano takes advantage of it.
Jim Salter
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A small pocket with the Kano PC installation and configuration guide peeks at you, or your child, when you open the box the first time.
Jim Salter
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With the first layer of shipping foam removed, the back of the Kano PC (minus battery and speaker) greets its new owner.
Jim Salter
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The front of the Kano PC tablet has a temporary screen saver with a fun educational message, including Cartesian coordinates for an arbitrary point.
Jim Salter
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All the contents of the Kano PC case, without packaging. (Mysterious Science Theater Cup and assorted tools not included.)
Jim Salter
While there is nothing pretentious about Kano PC’s unpacking experience, it is obvious that the team spent a lot of design time and effort to make it as attractive as possible. Interesting line diagrams and drawings adorn each surface. If your child is excited to get this device, Kano is determined not to to lose that emotion on the way.
The contents of the box equals a fairly large battery, once unpacked. Hardware includes the Kano PC tablet, a snap-on front cover, an ultra-slim case with an integrated keyboard and touchpad, a speaker and battery, and the USB-C power supply. The power supply itself also requires a small assembly – its design is also modular, consisting of the charger and a set of US 110V plugs that slide over the bare contacts of the charger. Usually we see these come with a range of adapters, but Kano PC only came with US tips, Presumably Kano PC kits delivered elsewhere will include tips which are appropriate for the place shopping.
In addition to the hardware, you get a surprisingly thick and educational setup guide, two sheets of stickers, and a “Kano PC Compliance Brochure” that describes your one-year warranty.
Putting Kano PC together
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Each page of the installation guide has huge photos and an educational review or two. We found it simple to follow and attractive.
Jim Salter
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Little touches like this constantly captivated us. What makes a PCB layout scheme more attractive? A magnifying glass included, that’s it! We also appreciate the easy-to-read, bright yellow bubble tags.
Jim Salter
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Thanks for the warning, Kano … but if we’re honest, I’m going to pull that off before turning on the PC.
Jim Salter
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Note the thick plastic posts on the speaker (left) and battery (right) inserts. Matching wells in those parts are closed comfortably.
Jim Salter
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In addition to snapping them into their inserts, the speaker and battery must be connected to the motherboard (with standard 2.5mm audio and USB-C connectors, respectively).
Jim Salter
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The bottom of the Kano PC features a five-pin data connector for the keyboard and touchpad built into the slim folio case, along with deep rectangular tab wells in the case.
Jim Salter
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Connecting the folio case to the tablet was a surprise – it’s quite magnetized and literally jumped into place without the need for guidance.
Jim Salter
We continue to appreciate the care and effort that went into the initial setup experience as we “built” the Kano PC. A cynic might scoff at the fact that the device just needs to have its battery and speaker inserted and plugged in, its front cover snapped on, and its folio case attached. But that’s enough for a kid inexperienced in PC building to find engaging, especially with the brightly colored step-by-step guide, which strives to be accessible and educational without indulging.
There were no major surprises along the way, though the speaker was a bit tricky to properly insert into its insert, and the front cover was downright bear to snag. Less secure children will likely need parental assistance with that cover; Aligning is not complicated, but you need HUGE grip strength (or lots of enthusiasm) to fully snap into place.
The only real surprise, probably because we stopped reading the guide before we got to that point, came when we plugged the tablet into its slim folio case. There’s a five-pin data connector that takes data from the built-in keyboard and touchpad from the case to the tablet, and experience with enterprise-grade laptop docks led us to expect it to be a hassle to line up well.
Actually, the connector is magnetized (strongly magnetized) and the case will literally jump from the table to the tablet in the correct position once the two are a quarter inch from each other.
