Coby's sub-$200 netbooks handled at CES

Remember those sub-$100 Coby netbooks that we deemed a hoax? Well, it looks like they might not be as hoax-y as we originally thought. Here at CES, Coby has a bunch of base models on the show floor in a myriad of color combos. The rep who showed us around made it clear that this was a "market research project" but that the 'books would ring in at under $200. There were a bunch of different configurations, but nothing too different from the usual Atom setup. The six color offerings might pique your interest, but after playing with them for a few minutes, we don't know how eager we'd be to run out and pick one up -- they felt pretty low-end. However, the only way to differentiate oneself in the crowded netbook market is with price, and Coby certainly has that working for it. We'll see if these ever make it to market, and reserve final judgment until then. Check out the non-junky gallery below.

Gallery: Coby's sub-$200 netbooks handled at CES

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[Matt @ Jan 8th 2009 9:27PM]

Heh, make these about $200 cheaper and I might be able to convince my grandparents to upgrade their 9 year old windows ME desktop for something more functional instead of them complaining about it...

[shugg @ Jan 9th 2009 1:46AM]

Dang, that sucks. let me guess they didnt get u anything for christmas.,dee dee dee

[Stevo @ Jan 8th 2009 9:27PM]

the red one almost looks nice enough to lay down $200 on...

[kbolido1sevn @ Jan 8th 2009 9:30PM]

this may be the first netbook to be sold at your local pharmacy

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Jan 8th 2009 9:31PM]

For $200 just getting it to turn on is an accomplishment. At that price point it would be very hard to complain about functionality.

[broli @ Jan 8th 2009 9:32PM]

"but nothing too different from the usual Atom setup."

Common engadget, is that how you report the specs of something. You're frigging in front of it can't you be a bit more specific on you know RAM and HDD. For 200$ and having an atom inside is a big deal if the rest of the specs don't include a 4gb SSD and some lousy 512mb RAM.

[DarkLight @ Jan 8th 2009 10:23PM]

No.

For sub-$200, an Atom with 4GB SSD and a lousy 512MB RAM _IS_ a big deal.

Have you seen the other options you have at under $200?... Well, in short, you only have one: The Alpha 400.

It has an extremely lousy 1GB SSD and an even more lousy 128MB RAM, and a yet more lousy Ingenic MIPS processor, and a worse-than-lousy locked down and severely outdated Linux-based OS.

How does the 4GB/512MB at $200 offer sound now?

[OneLove @ Jan 9th 2009 12:22PM]

I agree with you, but would have used a better tone.

Who is coby going to sell this to, the pentagon?

[Atom117 @ Jan 11th 2009 1:02PM]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/cobys-sub-200-netbooks-handled-at-ces/#comments

[Dmitri Molotov @ Jan 9th 2009 4:10PM]

A brilliant marketing strategy, price is the main reason more people don't buy laptops. Combine that with a wide variety of vibrant colors and you've got instant customers.

[Alexandre Emond @ Jan 8th 2009 9:55PM]

It's a lie until one can be delivered for that price.

[Michael @ Jan 8th 2009 10:00PM]

Anything with Atom seems about the same IMHO. The only other REAL different factors are ram and storage. Storage is a non-issue because SD cards keep getting cheaper and most netbooks have SD card slots.

[ichheissesuperfantastisch @ Jan 8th 2009 10:24PM]

exactly. the more i think about it, the more i want to get the netbook with the absolute lowest storage capacity, as long as its enough to fit the OS, documents and HD swap file. media and what not can go into a 32GB SDHC card or a flash drive. At $200, I'd be willing to pick this up if the battery life on it was ~3 hrs and it didn't get too hot (shouldn't, cuz it's got Atom inside).

[dave @ Jan 8th 2009 11:11PM]

3 USB ports... Geez.

My Dell E4200 (12") laptop costs about 20 times as much, and only has 2. Shafted ;-/

[madgic987 @ Jan 8th 2009 10:25PM]

When this "news" broke that they were making sub-$100 netbooks, it said they would be using Longsoon (spelling?) processors. That would likely save them compared to an Atom- a way to make these a reality.

If they can get this with 1GB RAM (or more), and an SSD bigger than 4GB (or even use a small HDD) with a base price under $200, I think these might sell, and force the bigger companies to look even more to getting netbooks cheaper. It's quite possible for them to make this a reality, they just need to actually make it.

[Syliss @ Jan 8th 2009 10:40PM]

I agree with michael and ichheissesuperfantastisch, why need a big hdd when SD cards and usb drives are getting hella cheaper. The battery life would be nice, or if need be cheap spares. I would get one of these just for travel and what not, and if possible hackintosh.

[k2001 @ Jan 8th 2009 10:49PM]

Does anybody remember the other $200 netbook two years ago?

[zed @ Jan 8th 2009 10:55PM]

these look great, i would pick one up fast if you could buy them.... i guess like alex above said 200 means nothing if theres no units to be shipped

[John Datserakis @ Jan 9th 2009 2:23AM]

why are you shitting on your keyboard?

[yrag @ Jan 9th 2009 12:25AM]

@ John Datserakis:

HI-OH ! ! !

[mcdj @ Jan 9th 2009 12:37AM]

Not bad, coming from a company who originally started off as a knockoff of Sony. In NYC, ca. 1993, COBY (using Sony's serif font and all) copied all of Sony's packaging and industrial designs and sold their cheap-o wares to nearsighted tourists in overpriced Times Square electronics shops. Man I miss those days.

[ichheissesuperfantastisch @ Jan 9th 2009 10:52AM]

i don't get it. are you being sarcastic or not? If you are, bear in mind that companies like Toyota started off by ripping off the Ford Model T and other American cars. Which brand would you rather buy from today?

I know Coby still makes extremely low-quality stuff (their current MP3 players are very very low-end for example), but hey, if the company feels like breaking the sub-$200 barrier for netbooks, let them. Depending on their sales figures (no doubt some people at CVS/Best Buy would be willing to drop $189.99 or so on them) this could very well force ASUS and Acer to reduce the prices of their flagship models to somewhere closer to the $250 mark in about a year or so.

[christopherborne @ Jan 9th 2009 12:48AM]

I'd definitely buy it at $200.

[shugg @ Jan 9th 2009 1:51AM]

what size screen.,?7' 9".,us americans are very cheap ass mofos.,get a feeling theyll be selling like hotcakes at best buy very soon.

[Nadool @ Jan 9th 2009 4:07AM]

"they felt pretty low-end"

WTF do you want from a laptop for under $200? Sorry it doesn't have a foldout secondary monitor for ya...

Unless the thing fell apart right there in your hands, punch yourself. At that price these things are practically disposable laptops. ;p

[Brian @ Jan 9th 2009 4:14AM]

Does it play DVDs and come with headphones?

[daniel @ Jan 9th 2009 10:25AM]

It's looks very similar to the Alpha 400

Perhaps it's the same hardware, but branded (and marketed) differently

Anyway, for reading emails on the coffe store should be great......

[Jon Acheson @ Jan 9th 2009 10:38AM]

Yeah, the black one at the end IS an Alpha 400.

I picked up one of those, it's... ok. Barely has grunt enough to run a browser, but the price was right, and the screen is great for its size. The trackpad and keyboard both work acceptably well, too.

What it really needs is a better Linux distro, I found a user forum for it once where people were working on it, but have not had any luck finding that site again.

[Atom117 @ Jan 9th 2009 11:05AM]

Hey guys, COBY is an up and coming AMERICAN company! Give them credit for coming a long way to where they are now. This is a great product especially with this screwed up economy.

[ichheissesuperfantastisch @ Jan 9th 2009 11:25AM]

OK, I'm seeing at least 3 different models in the gallery. Are all of them selling at the sub-$200 price point, or is it just the Alpha-400-looking-ass mofo at the end? Because if that's the case, then it's a shame, since the hideously large bezel is reminiscent of the early EEEs and makes it look like a kiddie PC. Nonetheless, if this can run XP relatively quickly, then it's a boon for low-income families. Coby should market the shit out of this if they can get all the models in at under $200.

I would definitely buy the small-bezel version in black (red and yellow are maybe best left to Ferraris), as long as they don't ruin the exterior with a cheap-looking glossy finish like HP has on a couple of its models.

[Atom117 @ Jan 9th 2009 11:30AM]

does it come with a webcam? Can they make it a 10" LCD?

[ichheissesuperfantastisch @ Jan 9th 2009 11:54AM]

A couple more things:

1. RAM Expansion: Apparently the Asus EEEs are easy to upgrade, while the HP Mini Notes are not. Hopefully Coby understands that a lot more people would buy a 512MB/1GB standard version if they knew that they could swap in a 2GB chip relatively easily.
2. Weight: For the sake of comparison, the 8.9" Acer Aspire One is 2.2lbs (3-cell batt) while the 10.2" Samsung NC-10 is 2.91lbs. I'd guess that the small-bezel Coby is 8.9", so they should really be striving to hit the 2.2-2.5lb mark. I mention this specifically because the side profile shot of the laptop does make it look a bit bulkier than the Acer. I'm willing to accept this if it allows for easier expansion.
3. SD expandability: how far is SDHC capacity likely to go, now that SDx or whatever is likely to roll out soon? 64GB? 128GB?

[Atom117 @ Jan 9th 2009 12:30PM]

What kind of graphics chip will it use? GMA950? If it comes out, I"ll def. get one or 2. Install Mandriva, PCLinuxOS, or Ubuntu and I"ll be all set! Is this really going to come out?

[Nanopro @ Jan 9th 2009 12:36PM]

"There were a bunch of different configurations, but nothing too different from the usual Atom setup"... Yeah ok DICKENS, not everyone can afford a MacBook Pro like you .... a......le.

[C. Hallmark @ Jan 9th 2009 6:36PM]

I have a new blog on this at http://china-400-mini-laptops.blogspot.com/ .

This low end is where the action is for years to come.

Trust Coby to find a combination that will sell. And trust this to bring down prices on ALL laptops / notebooks / netbooks.

[Wes @ Jan 9th 2009 10:48PM]

MY GRANDAUGHTER GOT A CHEAP-A__ dvd PLAYER FOR LIKE $20, AND IT LASTED ABOUT TWO MOVIES. WHAT'S THE WARRANTY ON A $200 LAPTOP, AN HOUR AND HALF??

[Matt @ Jan 9th 2009 11:58PM]

OK people, "it looks good enough to buy"? Buying a good looking car without an engine will get you no where. Why would you want to base your purchase on how it looks and not how it works. I think they look nice also, but keep in mind everything you'll need will include external components. There isn't a built in CD/DVD. You may use memory cards but you'll still want a disc player of some kind.

[hellpc @ Jan 10th 2009 12:53AM]

CD/DVD is dead technology Matt. Leave your discs next your 8 tracks and start downloading. Its a good new technology that you have not been exposed to yet. You'll love it.

[Gina @ Jan 10th 2009 1:11AM]

Look I just need a laptop for writing my book and poetry so show me the way. As long as I can backup on disk, I'm going with it.

[Atom117 @ Jan 10th 2009 9:03PM]

"Coby has never really been known as a manufacturer of high-end electronics. Heck, they sell the company's products at my local bodega--not behind the counter. Until my trip around the CES showroom floor tonight, I had always associated the company almost exclusively with low-end MP3 players. Turns out Coby is in the notebook business, too.

The NBPC892 is Coby's entry into the netbook space. The computer features an 8.9-inch screen, an Intel Atom N270 processor, and a surprisingly roomy 160-500GB hard drive. The netbook runs either XP or Linux, features 1GB to 2GB of RAM, and has a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera.

All in all, I'd wait for a review before rushing out and picking one up at your neighborhood 7-11. "

http://www.gearlog.com/2009/01/ces_2009_coby_intros_netbook.php

[Mark N. @ Jan 11th 2009 12:12PM]

I'd use one for really basic needs, like taking notes during a lecture, sending an email from a hotel or maybe downloading some photos off our digital camera. Our police station in town does not have a "public" photocopier to copy public records, so police-beat reporters have to copy each arrest report by hand. Then, when they get back to the office, they have to type each report into their desktop. A "cheapy" like this one would get approved even by our publisher, who HATES spending money.

By the way, in defense of the article's author, this is perfectly credible journalism, imo. A) It's clearly a followup on a previous report and B) the reps seem to say nothing is set in stone, so giving numbers ( 512K, etc.) would wind up being inaccuarte by the time the thing gets into production. The article was based on the somewhat limited information available. As an update, it's a fine report.

(Yes, I'm a journalist... on staff at a "small" newspaper and I get "attacked" plenty; sometimes by readers, and more often by my editor!)

[Shannon @ Jan 11th 2009 12:08PM]

I just bought a Dell XPS 1530, 15.4" HD LCD wide screen, 4GB RAM, 500G 5400 Hard Drive. and an awesome video card. I'm sticking with the mid-higher end, qualtiy is important. I wouldn't risk a sub $200 notebook and have it die after a month.

[Brutal @ Jan 11th 2009 12:46PM]

It is a real problem for some that everything you buy today is outdated tomorrow. To me, it seems like the best buy is always the "previous" greatest thing just before the "next" greatest thing hits the shelves. If you're just a regular Joe and don't have to worry about some kind of serious future compatablility issues ... its no different than buying cars.

[Janiece Payne @ Jan 11th 2009 1:05PM]

Hello, hope everyone is having a good day. I just recently started selling AVON. If anyone is interested in viewing my site, please visit www.youravon.com/janiecepayne.

[snorkel @ Jan 11th 2009 2:43PM]

It looks alot like the Acer -One web book minus the webcam, card readers, and other ports on the left side of the bottom case. Personally at $300- $350 I'm loving that little notebook. Given former bad experiences with Coby products, I'd probably pay extra for the Acer even if they were similar.

Still, it's good to see some attempt in retail to reach out to the less wealthy end of the spectrum. Too bad it took a recession to get it started.....

I wonder when a car company based somewhere other than India might catch on to the idea that 10 low end sales trump no high end sales?

[Lisa ASpen @ Jan 11th 2009 4:28PM]

sounds affordable to me

[Markbknight @ Feb 7th 2009 12:32PM]

It`s a Belco. Geeks.com are selling them. I`ve got one. Very low end. Battery doesn`t work. i`m returning it.