Lenovo looks to smooth out netbook line with IdeaPad update
Lenovo on Monday updated its IdeaPad S10 netbook, making it thinner and lighter, with a larger keyboard and touchpad in an attempt to make it easier to use.
The IdeaPad S10-2 netbook will also come with built-in 3G (third-generation) mobile broadband as an option, the company said.
The netbook's keyboard has been increased to nearly 90 percent the size of a standard laptop keyboard, which should give users the familiar feel of a fully functional laptop, Lenovo said. The netbook's weight, size and estimated battery life were not immediately available.
The S10-2 includes a 10.1-inch screen and will be available worldwide by the end of May starting at US$349. It will be powered by an Intel-based Atom N270 processor and will come with the Windows XP OS. It will support up to 1GB of RAM and up to 160GB of hard-drive storage. It will be available in designs of black, white, grey and pink. Integrated 3G will be offered in a few months, the company said.
The redesign is an attempt by Lenovo to iron out kinks in its netbook products as the category evolves. Netbooks are low-priced laptops designed for applications like Web surfing and basic word processing, but it have been criticized for limited hardware. An Apple official late last month trashed netbooks for having cramped keyboards and junky hardware.
Despite the obvious shortcomings of netbooks, low prices have fueled demand for them. IDC earlier this month said worldwide netbook shipments went up sevenfold to roughly 4.5 million during the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same quarter last year. It comprised approximately 8 percent of all PC shipments during the first quarter. Netbook shipments are expected to reach 22 million this year.
Lenovo was the fourth largest netbook vendor during the first quarter behind Acer, Asus and Hewlett-Packard, according to IDC.
IDG News Service
Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world
On Twitter now
netbook
Powered by Twitter
jfruh
Apple syncing patent can't come soon enough
pasmith
New Twitter features borrow from 3rd party clients
Esther Schindler
Open Source Changes the Software Acquisition Process
mikelgan
How to set up continuous podcast play on the new iTunes
David Strom
Five important Windows 7 mobility features
sjvn
Guard your Wi-Fi for your own sake
Sandra Henry-Stocker
Grepping on Whole Words
Sidekick: The Good News & the Bad News
Either way you look at it Microsoft Data Center management did not follow standards or best practices in this failure. In which case it makes me wonder more about the outsourcing of corporate data much less personal data.
- mburton325
Join the conversation here
Quick, practical advice for IT pros. Made fresh daily.
Want to cash in on your IT savvy? Send your tip to tips@itworld.com. If we post it, we'll send you a $25 Amazon e-gift card.
