NEC intros 1.6lb, 0.62-inch thick netbook
updated 12:00 pm EDT, Tue May 26, 2009
NEC 1.6lb, 10.6in netbook
NEC Japan has recently announced the upcoming release of its business-grade 10.6-inch netbook, the VersaPro UltraLite type VS. Most notably, the netbook weighs just 1.6lbs and is 0.62 inches thick. The low weight is achieved thanks to a magnesium frame that is die-cast and by exclusively offering a solid state drive, while the thinness comes from a careful design and shuffling around of the internal components. The 10-layer baseplate for the mainboard does not sit directly underneath the keyboard, for example, and a traditional heat sink for the CPU was done away with.
The netbook ships with a 1.86GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD preloaded with Windows Vista Business, though buyers have the option of downgrading to XP Professional. Its 10.6-inch LCD has a 1280x768 resolution.
Otherwise, there are three USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and an 802.11b/g Wi-Fi radio. An SD memory card slot lets users transfer files, including photos captured on their digital cameras. The standard battery can run the PC for 4.1 hours, while a higher capacity battery doubles that time.
When it begins hitting Japanese store shelves late in June, the Versa Pro J UltraLite Type VS will be priced at the equivalent of $1,052. [via Impress]
