NetbookTech

Lenovo formally announced the IdeaPad S12 netbook today – marking the entrance of the NVIDIA ION platform into the netbook arena. According to Dion Weisler, V.P. of Business Operations, Idea Product Group at Lenovo – “We’ve heard from consumers loud and clear about the need for affordable and extremely portable computing devices, and we’ve responded by introducing our third netbook with a completely new form factor, making mini-computing more usable and redefining value in today’s market”

What else can we say except “BRAVO”.

Now before I jump into the full details, it should be noted that the S12 will have the NVIDIA ION platform as an option for the netbook. According to PC World, the S12 will also be available with a 1.3 GHz VIA Nano 2250 processor and Chrome 9 HC3 graphics outside of the U.S. There will also be a version of the S12 with the Atom processor and traditional Intel graphics on the inside.

With that said, here’s the gist of what you’ll typically find within the IdeaPad S12:

• Intel Atom N270 processor running at 1.6GHz
• 12.1 inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution
• NVIDIA ION graphics
• Up to six hours of battery life
• Wi-Fi support
• ExpressCard slot
• 160GB HDD
• 1GB of RAM
• Dolby Headphone technology
• VGA port
• HDMI port on select models
• Bluetooth
• 4 in 1 media card reader
• Multi-touch touchpad
• Full size keyboard
• QuickStart feature allows you to boot into a Linux shell for simple computing functions such as surfing the web and playing with Skype
• Lenovo OneKey Rescue System
• New ring pattern design in black or white
• Weighs 3 pounds

Initial versions of the S12 will be available next month (June) with starting prices of around $449. Models with the NVIDIA ION will begin appearing later on in the summer (probably around the August timeframe).

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