Intel unveils teaching tablet

The world's largest processor firm has revealed its vision for the future of the classroom with its Intel Education Tablet.

Making its global debut at the BETT 2014 learning technology conference in London on Wednesday, the 10-inch tablet, unsurprisingly, uses an Intel processor and runs version 4.2 of Android, so on the surface, it's very, very similar to a host of tablets already on the market.

However, Intel has made some very interesting additions to its slate not only to help it stand out against the competition but to also make it potentially a very able digital classroom assistant and a genuine challenger to the iPad in the educational market.

It hasn't taken educators long to recognize the scholastic benefits of using tablets to help children of all ages learn. The slates are popping up in the classrooms of children of all ages, from kindergarten to college, and so far, it's the iPad that teachers and schools districts alike are plumping for. Apple claims that there are currently more than 10 million iPads being used in US classrooms, and the number is set to grow dramatically as plans to equip every school child in Los Angeles with a tablet come to fruition.

Intel's tablet is ruggedized so that it will survive a fall from a desk or an accidental blow from an errantly kicked football and it is also water- and dust-resistant, making it an ideal device for the science lab or the kitchen.

The device supports stylus input as well as touches and swipes for jotting down notes and making annotations. But maybe the neatest trick is its snap-on magnification tool and temperature sensor probe to really bring lessons to life. And thanks to a 12-hour battery life and the option of a 3G connection, users won't be confined to classroom-based learning.

'Education leaders everywhere are passionate about driving student achievement and encouraging lifelong learning,' said John Galvin, vice president of the Sales and Marketing Group at Intel and general manager of the World Ahead Program. 'At Intel, we believe the right technology can be transformative. That's why we are focused on designing tools that bring learning to life, helping to make students more engaged. The result is a future where people have the skills they need for opportunity and growth.'.