Lenovo said to be prepping 12-inch IdeaPad S20 netbook
By Donald Melanson 
posted February 16th 2009 11:39PM
posted February 16th 2009 11:39PM
This one's nowhere near official just yet, but DigiTimes is reporting that Lenovo is set to expand its netbook line to include a 12-inch model in the form of the Atom-powered IdeaPad S20 (no doubt not too dissimilar to 10-inch S10 pictured above). While there's expectedly no word on complete details, DigiTimes does say that the netbook would come equipped an Atom N280 processor and Intel's GN40 chipset, along with Windows XP, and cost about $586. It also says that since the 12-inch screen size falls outside of Intel's definition of a netbook, Lenovo would have to pay the full, non-preferential price for the Atom processor (about ten bucks more), although it's not clear if that's also been the case with something like the Dell Mini 12, which also pairs an Atom processor with a 12-inch screen.
[Via The Inquirer]
[Via The Inquirer]
As soon as the price rose past $399 + tax, it ceased being a "Netbook".
I refuse to recognize a "netbook" for more than $399.
The macbook air is considered a netbook to some, but its price is too high and its screen is too big.
Apple needs to get into the netbook market.
Not to mention that this screen size is 50% larger than the first wave of netbooks.
If Apple would re-release old, small macbooks like the ones we use for classrooms...and they could keep the price under $400 - they'd end up cornering the american market - with HP.
People trust apple products now - but, I don't think Apple wants to release anything percieved as "inexpensive"
It was size and price that made the Lenovo S10 a perfect companion for my 15.4" laptop. If I was shopping all over again for the netbook I'd take the S10 over this unit. Are people really replacing their full laptops with these things? I could never see doing such a thing.
it is a low cost ultra-portable at a much lesser price than some of the fancy ones, remember the sony/ toshibas?
copying sammy's idea of 12", even using the same naving scheme.... Samsung NC10 - NC20, Lenovo Ideapad S10 - S20
but with netbooks, it seems like everyone is copying off of each other.
naming*
no edit button is fail.
At least it isn't Lenovo IdeaPad S1000HE-HD-US-8GB.
^ indeed
I hope you're joking. In case you're not: making a 12" netbook is not copying Samsung.
Except, the S10 came out before the NC10. Add to that, "S20" follows Lenovo's naming canon and you have just an unfortunate coincidence where the S20 follows the NC20.
Didn't Apple make an aluminum version of this a couple of years ago?
They made a 12" version of the many 12" notebooks that came out before them.
Is it going to have a trackpoint?
ThinkPad: Track Point
IdeaPad: Track Pad
Why is this concept so hard to remember by so many people?
Dude, its one of the few reasons for somebody to buy one of these over another vendor's brand. Its not like netbooks couldn't use a little frakking differentiation...
Yay, no more GMA950. Hopefully the battery life improves too with the move to GN40. But 12"? And XP?
The classic definition of netbook (cheap small 8-9" portable with SSD and linux OS) is dead. Now, they're usually overpriced underpowered 12" laptop with XP.
It bugs me how manufacturers were all trying to use their own custom or obscure linux based operating systems instead of just offering Ubuntu and leaving it the frick alone, and then when people realized that the OSes sucked, they blamed 'the linux' instead of the incompetent software teams at the company that sold them their new toy.
@ethana2
What linux complaining of linux!? I guess you know now what MS users goes through when hardware companies install Windows OS with junk softwares.
@ethana2 have you tried the HP MIE linux or the Dell netbook remix or whatever? Those are actually pretty nice os-es with nice interface.
Crapbook maybe???
Keep trying to sell us crapbooks when we dont have any money for systems. Good job lol...
Good job on not selling that much.
I still prefer a notebook rather than a netbook/crapbook.
After all computer is part of my life and it is not only for surfing net :)
how about 1280x720 instead of 1366x768 for a change?
hey, it's more pixels, take it or leave it
besides, LCD definition of 720P for some reason is 1366x768
Doesn't Microsoft also have restrictions on what computers it will sell XP on? I can't imagine more netbook manufacturers wouldn't have broken with Intel's guidelines if the difference was $10.
"no doubt not too dissimilar"
Oh wow.
Instead of being clever and using a double negative, you're being mind-bogglingly witty and using TRIPLE negatives!
Well, actually, it's quadruple negative. Triple negative would've yielded the opposite meaning.
yeah, they are "low price", low specd laptops, not netbook, they are just trying to cash in on the concept!
Why S20? Common sense would have named it S12.
Lenovo is updating its S10 to an S11.
The S11 would have speakers so loud it would blow your eardrums out.