14 DAY TRIAL // Viewsonic, a company that is generally associated with display products, has recently announced the introduction of a couple of new, low-power, ultraportable computer systems, part of the company's expanding line of netbook PCs. Present at this year's IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany, the new netbooks are built on the familiar Intel Atom processor, boasting basic graphics and processing power. The two, the VNB100 and the VNB101, are pretty similar, but come with a few differences in terms of exterior design and internal specifications.
Kicking off with the more basic VNB100, Viewsonic joins the rather high number of PC builders that has already rolled out systems based on the Intel Atom N270 processor. The new netbook boasts the same technical specifications as most netbooks on the market, with a 10-inch display, a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. There's also a 802.11 b/g wireless network solution and the old and popular Windows XP operating system. Viewsonic does add a bit of a twist with an integrated ExpressCard 34, which isn't available on most netbooks, but, other than that, you are dealing with your regular, Atom-based portable PC.
Kicked up a notch, the VNB101 comes to provide users with a thinner exterior design, combined with some improved internal hardware. This model has been featured with the more recent Atom N280 processor, clocked at 1.66GHz and combined with a faster FSB. According to available specifications, the 101 is just 25mm thick, compared with the 36mm thickness on the VNB100. This design-feature has been enabled by the five-hour-capable, 3400mAh lithium-polymer battery, which has also enabled the portable system to weight in at just 1.4kg.
The new Viewsonic VNB100 is scheduled to arrive for a price tag of £299 ($615/€418), while the slightly better VNB101 will be priced at about £30 more.
