AMD plans response to Intel, VIA mini notebooks

AMD is working with PC builders to offer its own answer to a slew of micro notebooks based on Intel chips, visitors to AMD's booth at Computex have found today. While specifications are unclear, a number of companies are building systems using low-power Turion 64 processors as well as AMD's integrated ATI Radeon for graphics. Systems will follow a similar pattern and use Linux with lower-end systems and Windows on some higher-end models.

One company, Malata, has been identified as making one system and will include an unknown AMD chip as well as 1GB of memory, an 8.9-inch screen and Linux. A high-end system from an unspecified manufacturer shrinks the screen to seven inches but boosts the resolution to 1024x600 (incorrectly identified as 1280x600), uses a 60GB or 80GB hard drive, and runs Windows XP.

These systems should start appearing in the second half of 2008 and will be priced between approximately $300 and $400, matching the cost of most lower-priced micro notebooks. Whether any such systems will be available in the US is unknown, as most major PC makers including Acer, ASUS, Dell, and HP are all using either Intel or VIA processors. [via JKKMobile]

Malata system

Unnamed 7-inch system