CTL is probably best known (if they’re known at all) as the company developing the 2Go PC, the first computer built using the Intel Classmate 2 reference design. But CTL also recently announced that it would be bringing the IL1 to American shores. The IL1 bears a superficial resemblance to the original Asus Eee PC, with its 800 x 480 pixel screen and oversized bezel. But there are a few significant differences.
The IL1 keyboard looks like it’s a bit larger than the Eee PC keboard, and the miniscule trackpad has 2 distinct buttons, which are much easier to use than the rocker that ships with the original Eee.
Video playback and Skype video calls are reportedly a bit choppy, which doesn’t surprise me. My HP Mini-Note has a 1.2GHz VIA processor and doesn’t handle streaming video very well. I wouldn’t expect the IL1 with its slower chip to perform better, even if the computer’s display resolution is much lower than the Mini-Note’s 1280 x 768 pixel.
The CTL Il1 will probably be available sometime in June.