Norhtec to Release Yet Another Sub-$300 Linux UMPC

Thai system builder Norhtec has announced its plans of releasing a sub-$300 ultra-mobile PC built around a previous design from Quanta. The new model will be called "the Gecko" and is especially designed for the developing-country markets.

The Gecko is powered by a Via C7-M ultra-low voltage processor running at a default core clock of 1 GHz. It also comes with a conventional trackpad to substitute for an external mouse. The sub-notebook comes with the Linpus Linux Lite operating system that is especially tailored to suit the needs of UMPCs, Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), and low-cost laptops.

It features a dual-mode user interface with an icon-based "easy" mode and a more advanced working mode, referred to as "experienced." The operating system only needs 366MHz CPU, 128MB of DRAM, and 512MB of disk space, in order to function normally.

"Linpus Lite is very similar to gOS," wrote Norhtec's President, Michael Barnes, in an email. "Each application is tied to a dedicated icon, each of which is separated by tabs which classify it into a functional area." Barnes went on to explain that Gecko customers could swap out the distro for other Linux distributions or even Windows.

The notebook also includes an optional PATA hard disk and integrated media acceleration that powers the 7-inch LCD display. It follows into its predecessors' footsteps, such as the Everex Cloudbook and the Asus EEE PC. The Gecko runs a Linux OS that is actually tailored for use on small-screen displays, unlike Everex's gOS that proved to be a real pain for the Cloudbook PC users.

According to Barnes, the Gecko laptop will be announced soon, and will hit the market at a sub-$300 price tag, in order to compete with the other 7-inchers of its kin.

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