Chinese PC maker Lenovo has flagged plans to enter the miniature notebook market with a one-kilogram model to launch later this year. But while Australians will get the notebook before their US counterparts, they can also expect to pay more.
According to a statement from Lenovo, its new S10 laptop is scheduled for a late September release in Australia. US consumers will have to wait until October for the release.
US consumers can expect to pay US$399 for a model, which will include 512MB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive, or US$449 for 1GB of memory and a 160GB drive. According to a statement from Lenovo, the S10 in Australia "will be priced from AU$699".
With a choice of either red or black, the S10 will run Windows XP and use Intel's new Atom Processor specifically designed for small notebooks. The S10 will be available with either an 80GB conventional hard drive or a 16GB solid state drive and include 1GB of RAM.
External features of the notebook include a 10.2-inch LED-backlit display and a keyboard 15 per cent smaller than a standard keyboard. The S10 will also feature a webcam, a pair of USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, and an ExpressCard slot.
I am deeply disappointed that the S10 will not be offered with a Linux distribution pre-installed.