14 DAY TRIAL // Intel is reported to be stealthily gearing up for a huge offensive in the ultra-mobile PC market. The proof lays in the hands of an anonymous US-based OEM vendor employee, who posted pictures and technical specifications of an Intel-branded sub-notebook that will be released by June.
At the first glance, the resemblance between the so-called NetBook PC and the more rudimentary Classmate educational notebook from Intel is striking. Also, according to the anonymous employee, the sub-notebook will be also pitched at the educational market, rather than at the consumer sector. The tiny notebook comes with a carrying handle for facile transportation and is reported to be running Windows XP smoothly.
Under the not-so-elegant hood, the device hides a 900 Mhz Celeron Processor, 512 MB of system RAM, 40GB of storage space on a conventional hard-disk drive, as well as Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity. However, the most important aspect is the LCD display.
While there is no additional information regarding the notebook's graphics subsystem and display resolution, 9-inch screen is surely a novelty, given the fact that the majority of notebooks of its kind come with a 7-inch display.
Moreover, the OEM employee estimated that Intel's educational sub-notebook will be available in June, at an estimative retail price of about $400, which means that it could directly compete with Asustek's ultra-popular Eee PC, which will come with the same 9-inch screen and Windows XP operating system.
However, the leaked technical specifications and the estimative sales price seem to contradict the previous reports regarding Intel's NetTop platform. Earlier rumors regarding the NetTops claimed that the systems will come with a price tag of between $250 and $300, and will be built on Intel's upcoming Atom processor, rather than on the obsolete Celeron family.
