HP's UMPC to use Via CPU, hit $499 price?

HP's Compaq 2133 ultra-mobile PC may use non-Intel hardware to achieve an exceptionally low price, says an off-hand remark in an article comparing the devices. Although previous leaks have pointed to Intel's Silverthorne forming the backbone of the 8.9-inch miniature notebook, the report claims that at least one version will use a Via processor and sell for $499, putting the computer into the same price .league as the ASUS Eee PC and Everex CloudBook. This is most likely to involve Via's notebook-oriented C7-M processor and should be helped by the use of Linux instead of Windows as the stock operating system.

No additional specifications follow the leak, though the device is expected to provide an edge over rivals with a full-width ExpressCard slot and a higher resolution display. However, the use of a Via processor would free the computer from needing to launch in the April-to-May timeframe dictated by the launch of Intel's Silverthorne platform.

Filed under: computers
Other story tags: Intel, Linux, ASUS, HP, Eee PC, via, Everex, Compaq, Cloudbook, Silverthorne