14 DAY TRIAL // IT companies don't seem to talk about netbooks all that much nowadays, the product type having become somewhat of a has-been, but that doesn't mean no such small PCs are being made anymore.
In fact, Panasonic has just introduced a netbook, although one could argue that the device doesn't really qualify as one, despite its size.
Even though it uses a 10.1-inch LCD, the Let's Note J10 somehow runs the Core i5-2540M central processing unit.
A dual-core chip with hyper-threading, the 3MB cache CPU has a base clock of 2.6 GHz and a Turbo Boost maximum of 3.3 GHz.
As if this processor wasn't already enough of a beast for such a small machine, it is possible to get a Core i7-2640M instead (dual-core, hyper threading, 2.8 / 3.5 GHz, 4 MB cache).
Since this is a small form factor laptop, Panasonic decided to include a solid-state drive instead of a hard disk drive, although it didn't place platter-based storage completely out of customer reach.
The Core i5 netbook gets a 128 GB SSD, while the Core i7 option gets a 256 GB SSD or a 1 TB HDD.
In that same order, the netbook, or more accurately non-netbook, will get 4 GB and 8 GB of DDR3 RAM (random access memory), respectively.
Essentially, the Panasonic Let's Note J10 is a notebook crammed down to the size of a netbook. We must say it is impressive that Panasonic even managed the feat without any overheating issues. The Core i5 and Core i7 used here aren't the chilliest of chips in the world.
Moving on, prospective buyers may want to know that the laptop will get an Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 card (WiMAX at 28 Mbps in Japan), Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0, HDMI, D-Sub, an SD card reader and optional Bluetooth.
Finally, the screen has a native resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels (HD) and the battery can last for 7.5-8 hours, unless the extended pack is chosen, for a total of 12.5 hours. The machine will get 13mm thicker because of it, but such is life. The Let's Note J10 isn't exactly thin in the first place, although the weight is surprisingly low (999 grams / 2.20 pounds).
The one big problem with the ultranetbook is the price: $2,130 to $3,345, or 1,645 to 2,588 Euro. Oh well. At least a carrying case is included in that cost.