Kano
However, Kano has made a number of changes to the second-generation model. “All aspects of the physical and electronic design have been improved,” a company spokesperson told Engadget. The biggest upgrade is arguably the dual-core Intel Celeron processor, which replaces the more modest Atom x5-Z8350 chip. The internal battery is now charged via USB-C and both USB-A ports will be 3.0, instead of 3.0 and 2.0. The battery life has been increased to 10 hours, according to Kano, and the heatsink has been extended to improve the thermal performance of the device. There are also physical volume buttons on the right edge of the tablet and support for Bluetooth 5.0, which surpasses the previously offered Bluetooth 4.2.
The specs aren’t high-end, but neither is the price. The Kano PC costs $ 299 and, unlike Microsoft’s $ 399.99 Surface Go 2, includes a wrap-around keyboard cover. Instead, the device is competing with low-end Windows 10 hardware, Chromebooks, and Apple’s basic iPad. Kano claims its two-in-one performs better “than many more expensive laptops,” including the Acer Spin 11 and an unspecified HP ProBook, in multiple Novabench tests. The Lego-like design means it should also be easier to repair and upgrade. However, both will be highly dependent on Kano manufacturing and distributing the parts, which must fit into the designated slots.
Kano
The Kano PC will ship with Kano Software Studio, a collection of applications full of programming challenges. It is compatible with Kano World, a platform for sharing and downloading user-created creations, and will coincide with Kano Club, a subscription offering that includes exclusive applications and biweekly “content and video drops”. Kano has also developed a 40-lesson creative computing curriculum and a Microsoft team integration that should help teachers deliver virtual classes and track student projects.
Finally, Kano is working on a large number of peripherals including a webcam, a mouse, and headphones. The webcam is connected to a flexible cable, so theoretically it can function as a front and rear camera, and it has multiple lenses so that students can learn to take macro pictures.
Kano
The Kano PC launches today and is available to order through the company’s website, as well as from Best Buy and Microsoft online stores. The two-in-one will also be available at Best Buy outlets in the United States and Canada later this month. Kano will also pursue lucrative school contracts and other bulk educational purchases worldwide. In a press release, the company said it was already in talks to distribute the device through Sheikh Saeed Bin Ahmed Al Maktoum’s UAE Private Office.
The Kano PC follows a host of Raspberry Pi machines and a Kickstarter campaign that promised separate Pixel kits for camera, speaker, and lightboard. To date, only the light board has been shipped. In a backup update released last December, Kano said he was working on a new speaker kit to be announced sometime in 2020. The camera, however, was a privacy “minefield” that had to be abandoned. Today, Kano said that anyone who has endorsed the camera, speaker, or pixel kit will get a free webcam, headphones, and mouse. “They are worth more than $ 100,” the company said on Kickstarter. “Transparent, modular and full of content”.
Since the campaign launched in 2016, Kano has released a small motion sensor kit and multiple products that take advantage of the Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Frozen licenses.
Update 07/14/20 10:03 AM ET: Free webcam, headphone and mouse information added for Kickstarter sponsors.
