Netbook Manufacturers Give Low-Priced Latops A Taste of Their Own Medicine
Recently, as a result of the constant stream of netbooks entering the market, notebook prices have been dropping. Realizing this, netbook manufacturers have decided to take matters into their own hands.
Before we go on, we’d like to mention that while a few months to a year ago netbooks averaged 10″, people nowadays are getting seemingly more tired of the small screens and cramped keyboards. It’s possible that pretty soon, 11″ and 12″ netbooks may be all the rage.
The Lenovo S12 falls into this latter category of netbooks (the one with larger screens). The cheapest model of this machine is currently on sale for $379. This deal (ahem…steal’s more like it) also includes free shipping. The next cheapest model of the S12 sold for $499 a month ago, but the price is now being dropped to $449.
The $379 model is powered by a VIA Nano processor while the $449 model is powered by an Intel Atom processor. Perhaps a netbook like this is what future customers will be looking for – machines that combine both portability and performance.
Think these netbooks are still a bit on the pricey side? Well, at least they have a full-sized keyboard and a 12.1″ screen with 1280×800 screen resolution. If those aren’t tempting enough, you could always think of all the saved trips to the doctor’s office.
Via ComputerWorld.
Lenovo and Samsung Delay Netbooks Until Windows 7
The Lenovo Ideapad S12, featuring the Nvidia ION platform, has been announced since May but is as of yet nowhere to be seen on the netbook market. It’s supposed to be one of the first netbooks capable of displaying HD video with the all-new graphics chip. Unfortunately, it’s looking like we may need to wait until Windows 7 is released before we can get our hands on the new Ideapad netbook.
Featuring a 12-inch 1280 x 800 display, the netbook has a 1.6 GHz CPU and Intel integrated GMA 950 graphics to complement the Nvidia ION.
Believe it or not, Samsung is also rumored to be delaying the N510 netbook in order to put the ION inside it as well. This could be a reaction to Lenovo’s announcement, and the two machines may be quite competitive when the time comes for their release.
However, the Samsung N510 is more of a powerhouse when it comes to graphics. It uses an Nvidia GeForce 9400M chip – the same one found in the Unibody MacBook Pro.
With that, all there is to do is wait until October and see how Windows 7 and the ION change netbooks.
Via TechTree.
Lenovo Netbooks Get Dolby Headphone Technology
Dolby International has announced that it would be equipping Lenovo S10-2 and S12 netbooks with Dolby Headphone technology. Essentially, this means that if headphones are plugged into these netbooks, users will be able to experience surround sound audio.
Dolby Headphone Technology is meant for headphones and is able to mimic up to five speakers. The virtual speaker environment that would be created by the headphones is expected to lessen listening fatigue for users that listen to audio for extended periods of time.
This new technology will provide “better sound quality without compromising with the form factor.” Furthermore, according to Lenovo, the new technology will offer better audio without excessively hogging the netbooks’ processors and batteries.
Via TechTree.
Lenovo Offers First Netbook With Nvidia Chip
Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo is offering a netbook (the IdeaPad S12) that will operate on the Nvidia Ion chip. Essentially, this computer chip is a combination of the Intel Atom chip and a Nvidia 9400m graphics unit. Examples of this the S12’s performance capabilities include 1080p video and accelerated h.264 and Blu-ray playback.
Other tech specs of the Lenovo S12 netbook include 1 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, a 4-in-1 card reader, and an ExpressCard slot for 3G expandability. The S12 also comes with a 3-cell battery, which can be upgraded to a 6-cell battery.
The Lenovo S12 will have a 12″ screen and have a price tag of roughly $450-$500. The unit is rumored to start selling in July 2009.
Via SlipperyBrick.
