The Kno tablet is being described as “the most powerful tablet anyone has ever made” by the man heading a $46 million investment in the product. The Kno tablet has taken a step closer to being released, with a new round of funding worth $46 million to be used both for debt and equity. Leading the funding was Andreessen Horowitz, with Silicon Valley Bank and TriplePoint Capital also throwing money at the project and the company behind it.
The Kno is essentially an oversized dual-screen tablet, or a notebook with two touchscreens rather than a screen and a keyboard if you’d prefer. The screens both measure 14.1-inches and close together to form a sealed unit. When open, however, they work together to form what is being described as a digital textbook.
The Kno is heavy, weighing in at a whopping five and half pounds. It’s also likely to be expensive, with a vague “less than $1,000″ the official line at this stage.
Weighty and pricey may be OK, however, if the Kno tablet fulfills the role it’s intended to. Which is to give students the opportunity to throw away their textbooks and laptops and replace them all with one device. Students will be able to buy digital textbooks and view them just like they do the print editions. They’ll also be able take notes and highlight passages.
This has led Marc Andreessen to describe the Kno as “the most powerful tablet anyone has ever made.” And he must believe this as he’s invested millions in the Kno tablet.
