14 DAY TRIAL // Lenovo, which is currently one of the largest manufacturers of portable computer systems, is also set to break into the netbook segment by releasing a new product. The company will try to provide its fans with a competitor to ASUS' Eee PC, which, as of now, is the most successful item on the netbook market. On that note, a couple of more details regarding Lenovo's product have just been made available.
As per Digitimes, citing the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, Lenovo has finally chosen the manufacturers that will produce the upcoming netbook. Quanta Computers is expected to provide the necessary hardware components, while AU Optronics is said to have been picked as the supplier for the panels of the netbook. Furthermore, it looks like Lenovo will be ready to officially launch its new small-sized portable computer system sometime in the third quarter this year.
Lenovo's netbook lineup will presumably include two different models at launch. One of them will sport an 8.9-inch LCD, while the other will be meant to compete with ASUS' 1000-series and MSI's Wind in the 10-inch segment. As rumored, the new netbooks will be based on Intel's Atom processor and will come with LED backlit panels. According to the provided details, they will also sport a 160GB hard drive and will be offered in four different chassis colors, including white and pink. There are no details available regarding the netbook's operating system or other technical features - however, it looks like the pricing will be set somewhere in the US$399-599 range, according to the Economic Daily News.
More details should emerge in the near future, as the official launch date draws nearer. By then, we will probably be able to formulate a general idea of how Lenovo plans to compete with ASUS in this fast growing market. We will, however, also have to take in consideration the products that will be coming from other manufacturers, including Dell, Toshiba and Nec.