The Latest at litl webbook: A Chance to Win 2 litls!
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@BakeSpace, I want to win two @litl webbooks for Valentine’s Day!http://bit.ly/givealitl
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One person will win TWO litl webbook computers!
I wanted to add a note…
Recently the litl Webbook was featured on The View. As a result of so much fanfare, the litl Webbook inventory was wiped out. There are a few litl Webbooks for sale on Amazon.com but these are NOT retailing for the $699 list price but actually much higher due to the lack of inventory. I talked to the good folks at litl webbook customer support (very nice people) and they said that new litl Webbooks are about go into production. The newest version will have a slightly different, more scratch-resistant case. I think it is going to take a month-ish or so until this new production run ships.
If you are DESPERATE to get your hands on a litl webbook, then buy at an arbitrage price from Amazon.com now. But if you can wait a little bit, the new ones will have a new, slightly more matte finish and the price will be the retail price of $699.
and now, here is my story about how I fell in love with litl webbook…
My family was selected to beta test the litl webbook this past fall. We fit the criteria: wifi, kids who are online gamers, and prone to excessive complaining. The computers came and kids tore off the packaging and attacked the computers. There are no instructions, and only the 5-year-old was able to figure out how to turn it on. Play dates were in the house and no kid could be coerced into playing; they were all glued to the litl webbooks. The litl webbook is, let’s face it, gorgeous. The beta version of the operating system was a little slow for our high-paced lives, and it was unstable but I was amazed in mid-Demember when a very speedy version of the operating system was uploaded to my webbook and everything worked perfectly.
We have 3 computers that we use pretty often: a PC desktop in the home office that is theoretically off-limits to the kids, an iBook that is Mommy’s computer but is shanghai’d by the kids, and the litl. We also have a very slow pc laptop that is the kids’ official computer and was rejected by all, and a pc tablet computer for my husband’s work that comes out occasionally. We have a color laser printer that is wonderful but only prints to the hard-wired pc desktop because we are tech-challenged to hook up the other computers over an ethernet connection.
So…has the liTL webbook changed our lives? Strangely, it has:
- We used to read the newspaper in the morning but now read the RSS feed to CNN. It helps us stay focused during the morning mad dash and it saves trees and $600 on a subscription a year.
- We check the weather via the litl in easle mode in the kitchen. The kids layer up based on the temperature…it’s helpful because they are always trying to get out of gloves and hats and the sunshine outdoors can be deceptive.
- We use the egg timer (kids LOVE it) to count down the time to load up in the car.
- We switched from a paper family calendar to google calendar using the liTL as home base. My husband always hated the paper system; he can’ read my messy handwriting and I was loathe for a huge whiteboard or chalkboard in our kitchen.
- My 5-year-old needs less tech support than usual on the liTL. Just yesterday, as he’s yellling, “How do you spell Bakugan?”, his sister replied, “JUST USE THE LITL!” because we have set cards for his sites that he frequents (Webkinz, Ben 10 Alien Force, Nick. Jr./Noggin).
- We could probably use some new features…a timer that turns off the computer after your screen time is done would be a good one!
- When the kids are on the TV, I notice my husband using the litl to watch his shows on TV and this creates a more harmonious atmosphere and eliminates the need for yet another cable box.
I never thought I’d like a computer in my kitchen because I’m always fighting to keep the counters cleared off, but the litl is easy on the eyes and we found a good spot for it. Now I don’t know how we existed without our litl.
For $700, it’s a bargain compared to an iBook which is what I would have purchased for my kids. It provides exactly what we need (internet based stuff) and nothing we don’t. The remote is cool and my 5-year-old uses it because he can’t reach the computer without a chair to switch channels. We NEVER have to deal with tech stuff which is perfect for me; I hate that stuff. We never have to download upgrades or anything; it’s all done for us at night. We don’t have to worry about viruses either; it’s included. We still have to upload our photos to flickr but the easel mode is also a digital photo frame. And I think there is a two year unconditional guarantee.
Here’s a link from a Techno Dad blog on litl webbook: http://web.me.com/michaelferrara/http:__homepage.mac.com_michaelferrara/CES_2010/Entries/2010/1/15_litl_Webbook.html
The litl, at $699 seems like its priced out of the market compared to cheap, Windows-based netbooks. But when you factor in the included lifetime upgrades, the multi-angle screen, the automatic backups (litl will shut down your account if the computer is stolen), a two-year money-back guarantee, and the planned automatic upgrades like the ability to download photos and videos, the litl’s premium price is not only reasonable, but looks like a good value.
If you want to see a demo, go to http://crunchgear.com and type in litl. I have litlhouse on my blogroll which is another blog by another mom who uses liTL if you want to see how another mom user is using the ltlL at home with her kids.
You can purchase a litl webbook by clicking on the image below through Amazon. The remote is $20 bucks but sooo worth it!
Pragmatic Mom 
