It looks as if the economic downturn, which has already impacted on the market performance of several major companies in the computer hardware industry, has prompted one of AMD's largest graphics card partners to expand its product portfolio with the introduction of the company's first netbook system.

 

HIS is now reported to have launched its very first portable computer system designed for the basics in computing technology. Unfortunately, despite the fact that HIS is one of AMD's major partners, its first netbook system comes built on the same Intel Atom platform that has been featured on almost every other netbook on the market.

 

The graphics card maker marked its debut in the netbook segment by displaying its first computer system at the COM IT Expo in Mumbai, India. According to available pictures and specifications, the new entrant on the netbook market might have borrowed a few elements, in both design and specifications, from MSI's own Wind netbook system. This basically means that you should expect the same Intel Atom platform inside a 10-inch netbook that is expected to become available for just over Rs. 20,000, which is approximately $400.

 

The system itself boasts a 10.2-inch (1024x600 pixel) LED backlit display, and runs on a Windows XP operating system. It houses a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM memory, 2.5-inch SATA hard drive and the usual array of connectivity options, including three USB ports, one VGA, Wi-Fi, 4-in-1 card reader and even a Kensington Lock for security purposes. Additional features include a 1.3MP webcam and a 4-cell battery, and even HSDPA/WCDMA support on an upcoming model.

 

At the moment, there's no specific date of release or even details on whether the graphics card maker plans to make its new portable system available on the worldwide market as well. However, it will be interesting to see how many other PC component manufacturers will follow HIS' model.