Far from free
When we first told you about the Kno - a dual 14.1 inch tablet being developed for the further education market - we feared that an estimated price of a grand may be too rich for most students' blood. Now Kno has announced pricing and initial availability of the device, dripping with acknowledgement of the price tag.
The dual screen tablet will cost $899, and there's a single screen option which will set you back $599, according to a press release that has yet to make it onto the Kno site, but which was republished by Boom Town. That's not too bad when you compare it to the iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab. It's also now accepting pre-orders for shipments to go out before the end of the year.
"Kno's extraordinary benefits represent only a tiny fraction of the overall cost of college, but its impact on the student's career - and the energy it adds to the experience, the thrill of learning, and the ultimate grade - is dramatic," said Osman Rashid, co-founder and CEO of Kno. "Even better, when you do the math, it actually pays for itself and still saves $1,300 in digital textbook costs."
So it gets you better grades and saves you money - can't argue with that. The precise nature of the ‘math' used remained vague, however. Kno is developing commercial relationships with textbook publishers, but students will still have to pay 50-70 percent of the full price for e-textbooks.
"According to the not-for-profit College Board's 2010 report, the average college student spends approximately $1,100 a year on book and supplies," said Babur Habib, CTO and Co-Founder of Kno, Inc. "Kno can reduce that cost while bringing education into the 21st Century, providing students with a far superior learning experience than they have today."
"Pays for Itself in 3 Semesters," insisted the sub-head on the press release. "Delivers Significant Student Impact for Less than 1% the Cost of a 4-Year College Education". If that means it costs a hundred grand to get a degree in the states, our students might want to bear that in mind when they go on their jolly little demo tomorrow.
We'll leave you with Kno's latest video, followed by an indication of how it's positioning the product, judging by its choice of soundtrack.
