14 DAY TRIAL // It was only a matter of time until a 'netbook' based on an ARM central processor actually made an appearance, and Kmart seems to have started selling one, the so-called GenBook 108, which uses an 800 MHz chip and sells for under $200.
ARM Holdings has been trying to get its CPUs into netbooks and other PCs for quite a while, the same way Intel has attempted, so far with little success, to enter the handset and smartphone segments.
Unfortunately, Intel's Atom platform has, more or less, kept the entry-level mobile PC market under its thumb, making it hard for ARM to make an incursion.
Success hasn't remained out of reach for lack of trying, however, as the Augen GenBook 108 appears to prove, a device running Android 2.1.
Simply put, the GenBook 108 is either a smartbook or a netbook, or both, the CPU and screen size being, respectively, the elements that make it a little of each.
The processor in question is clocked at 800 MHz and paired with 256 MB of RAM and 2GB of internal flash storage.
The manufacturer of the electronic also threw in a SD/MMC card slot, for extra storage, allowing up to an extra 32GB to be added to the mix.
There is also a TFT display, whose native resolution is of 1,024 x 600 pixels, plus a 93% full-size keyboard, so that input may be comfortable and easy.
Furthermore, the GenBook 108 boasts 802.11 b/g WiFi and a 2100 mAh battery, the entire weight being of 1.8 pounds.
Basically, this smartbook/netbook hybrid is able to check e-mails, surf the web and perform other tasks, so long as suitable applications exist for the intended purpose.
Finally, should one be interested in such a purchase, one may find it pleasant to learn that it will only take $190 to acquire the GenBook 108. Those interested can place their orders via this page.