Inventec intros $230, 10.1-inch V10 laptop for China
By Donald Melanson 
posted May 23rd 2008 1:34PM
posted May 23rd 2008 1:34PM
If the current crop of cheaptops are still a bit too pricey for your taste, you may want to keep an eye out for Inventec's new V10 laptop, which apparently costs a mere 1,600 Chinese yuan (or about $230) . That'll get you a bigger than usual 10.1-inch display, but a decidedly lackluster 1GHz VIA C3 processor, along with 128MB of RAM (apparently upgradeable), a 20GB hard drive, and built-in Ethernet but seemingly no WiFi to speak of (there are two USB ports, though). Of course, there's no word on a release 'round these parts, but we'd expect there to be at least a decent market for these given the price / screen size combo
No WiFi? In this day and age, what good is a laptop without WiFi?
But I'm guessing this is a case where you get what you pay for.
Ha! Watch it not have a battery either...
You can use one usb for mouse and another for wifi.
IT WILL HAVE A BATTERY
but because its made in China, that battery will go NOVA if you leave it plugged in too long.
I see lots of bezel room to put a USB wifi adapter in. A couple hours and $20 bucks or so will see it done.
that's a pretty decent deal
This is what happens when you have full stock of parts that nobody wants. Like 20gb hdds - even MP3s are larger these days.
But I can't say I'm not happy to hear about $230 laptop which wasn't made on a program "One Laptop Per Child". Great news, means there is hope OLPC program will finally sell lappies for $100.
The only thing I'm afraid of - this thing will fall apart when I take it out of the box xD
Engadet Rocks because they have no camera ads with Ashton Kutcher...
First!
You do realize that by saying this you are basically asking for them?
I wish I could edit my comment and put a period at the end instead.
(there is two USB ports, though)
First thing I noticed as well. Too bad Donald are not checking to make sure his grammer are good.
haha, I saw this too, come on Engadgeteers! Check your grammar!
Already on par with MB!
I'm really not in the market for these.
But its good to see low priced laptops :)
No Wifi? Is that Vista I see on this 128mb RAM computer? Crazy talk!
Although really, this isn't too bad of a deal at all, even if you have to go upgrade the RAM and put in a WIFI card, assuming this has the expansion slot for that... otherwise, USB Wifi it is.
10" laptop was totally my idea. If only I had called Inventec ... I could have been rich.
God... I remember when I first saw the EEE I though "cool little machine".
Now it's just sad.. it's like a race to the bottom to see who can vomit the most disgusting and underpowered device... At this rate they'll produce a 386 in about two months, but hey! It will be a perfectly capable "email machine" =S
And it would be made from "air"
Sounds great, except the lack of wifi
Another $100-200 could see this being one of the cheapest tablets in existence. Most of the $800-1000 tablets nowadays barely nudges itself over 1Ghz, in the first place.
I'll pay $30 for it, final !
Made in Taiwan
Mmm,
I remember Inventec being the maker of the Besta electronic dictionary that I used in high school. Bundle the V10 with the functions of the electronic dictionary and I am sold :)
My wife has a Besta Chinese English electronic dictionary and it has worked like a champ for 2 years, has quite a few features, and in that two years probably clocked up 200 hours of powerup use on 3 sets of AAA batteries, one set being a packet bought at a chinese 7-11.
They should use the 'o/s' from the besta, add email, and they could make a useable email device for $50.