Dell this week introduced a new Ubuntu netbook, the Latitude 2100, which is designed specifically for use by schoolchildren.

"Dell has designed the system with school-friendly features, such as bright primary colors and a more rugged, rubberized design to withstand rough handling by children," writes InformationWeek's Antone Gonsalves. "In addition, the netbook, which has a 10.1-inch display, offers a network activity light on the lid to help teachers monitor network use and identify students who may be surfing the Web."

"The base Ubuntu Linux 8.10 equipped unit comes with 512MB of RAM, a 16GB SSD (solid state drive) and a 3-cell battery," writes Computerworld's Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols. "This version of the netbook sells for $369. If you wanted to get the same netbook with XP Home SP3, it would cost you $399. It's always nice to see a vendor offer you the Linux cost savings..."

More here from Ubergizmo ... more here from BusinessWeek ... more here from DesktopLinux.com ... more here from The Register ... and the press release is here.