Atom-based Nokia netbook reportedly on track for Q3 release

So much for Nokia and Intel keeping quiet on actual product announcements, huh? Just yesterday, the two mega-corps joined hands in what they called a technical collaboration, and while they wouldn't go into detail about what products would sprout from the partnership, it seems that Commercial Times has done the honors. Reportedly, Nokia has already ordered up a few machines from Compal and Quanta, two OEMs that are largely responsible for most every netbook on the market today. Not surprisingly, we're told that the Nokiabook will rely on one of Intel's Atom processors, and considering that the new wave of Atom chips aren't slated to land until 2010, you can pretty much put money on a N270 or N280 configuration. In related news, we're told that Compal will engineer a Qualcomm Snapdragon-based Nokia smartbook, though there's no word on what kind of OS (Symbian, perhaps?) will be included.

[vagvoba @ Jun 24th 2009 9:42AM]

Fail

[Ernesttechuser @ Jun 24th 2009 10:33AM]

I wonder what kind of 'incentives' Intel offered Nokia ....... I can't see Nokia being too thrilled about getting into the netbook business using exactly the same hardware as the rest of the (saturated and generic) market, otherwise.

I guess this is their strategy for preserving their monopoly against any inroads that ARM might make into the x86 market :-(

[iLoveApple @ Jun 24th 2009 9:42AM]

Like with their 'multimedia computers' (Nseries pieces of shit), this netbook will be underpowered and overpriced.

[bandora @ Jun 25th 2009 2:48AM]

That really sounds more like Apple products.. :/

[Alex @ Jun 26th 2009 9:26AM]

An N810 for an unsubsidized 180GBP is over priced? It has it's down sides, but you can't say price is one of them.

Shut the fuck up.

[Neeko @ Jun 24th 2009 9:46AM]

If its not ION save us all the web space and stop reporting on it..

[sam @ Jun 24th 2009 3:34PM]

If you don't think netbooks are interesting, why do you think Ion netbooks would be? Same old shit, better graphics (and less battery life) - big deal.

[GRAMMAR POLICE @ Jun 24th 2009 9:47AM]

Seriously though, that picture is an absolute shitfest.

[webran61 @ Jun 24th 2009 9:53AM]

You don't like racial equality over a Nokia logo as your netbook wallpaper? Racist.

[mike @ Jun 24th 2009 9:54AM]

Oh my god!
It's a terrorist fist jab on the screen!

- mike

[Carniphage @ Jun 24th 2009 10:02AM]

Why would anyone want to get *into* the netbook market?

It's as crazy as trying to get into a burning building.

C.

[Verythrax @ Jun 24th 2009 10:15AM]

I really don't understand why people always assume that Nokia would shove Symbian in anything bigger than a phone. IF they make a smartbook, it will use Maemo for sure.

[Atanas Boev @ Jun 24th 2009 10:31AM]

agreed. S60 is doomed, like Palm OS5 was. Cannot scale up. Palm tried "linux based" WebOS and succeeded. Nokia obviously does not want to keep all egs in one basket, and tries Maemo.

[john @ Jun 24th 2009 3:49PM]

Except a nokia employee from the Maemo team said, over on talk.maemo.org, that "Maemo 5 will be ARM only", and Maemo 5 is what's currently in the hopper.

So, on the Atom side of this story: I have NO idea what OS they're planning to release.

On the Snapdragon side of the story: could be Maemo. But, really, why snapdragon and not TI OMAP (what they already use)?

[john @ Jun 24th 2009 3:55PM]

here's the exact quote from Peter@Maemo Marketing:

"Let me remind you what we have said about Maemo 5: Maemo 5 will support OMAP3 processors i.e. ARM Cortex A8 technology, not more, not less."

So, if it's not an OMAP3 CPU, it's not going to be Maemo 5. I can't imagine it being any other version of Maemo, either.

[Verythrax @ Jun 24th 2009 4:23PM]

but at least its a much closer guess to take than Symbian.

[Atanas Boev @ Jun 25th 2009 10:04AM]

Maemo 5 will be ARM only, they have tons of things to fix before moving to another architecture, qt, what not.
This thing with Atom is very much preliminary, if anything more as a negotiation tactic with TI :) Nokia can announce anything in Q3, and produce it 2010Q3 when eventually next Maemo is ready. Or, who knows, Moblin?

[allenvanhellen @ Jun 24th 2009 10:30AM]

Nokia just doesn't seem to kick the ass it once did. My 8260 was fairly cheap, with good design and a very useful, quick and intuitive OS. My 8890 was a sexy version of the same. My 8801 and 8600 Luna had a few minor problems, but were even sexier and a joy to use. When I toyed around with S60 devices, however, the OS felt much less intuitive; I seemed to be going through more menus and confirmations to make something happen, and waiting for screens to change.

In short, Nokia was the Apple of cell phones before Apple got involved, and now, instead of stepping up and providing some real competition (in terms of innovation, not just pure market share), it seems they're backsliding. Needless to say, I'm not excited about this netbook announcement, and I'll be surprised if the launched product gets me all hot and bothered.

P.S. What's the deal with the ugly digital clock on the home screen in S60? Why do I want my VGA screen to look like an LED alarm clock?

[Rewes @ Jun 24th 2009 11:15AM]

Don't confuse S60 and Symbian together as they'd be the same thing. I'm sure that Nokia will bounce back just like Microsoft did with Windows 7. It just takes time with companies as huge as these.

[Al @ Jun 24th 2009 11:40AM]

Ubuntu + Snapdragon should be an interesting combination. If its under $300 I'm getting one.

[Albert @ Jun 24th 2009 11:47AM]

I think true netbooks are going to go ARM. True netbook as in cheap small, long battery life and limited functionality.
Everything else will have to compete with normal laptops.

[charlie @ Jun 24th 2009 1:59PM]

how about a nokia tablet instead?- im just sayin'

[Art @ Jun 24th 2009 2:49PM]

symbian is meh on phones. It will be HORRIBLE, absolutely ATROCIOUS, on a netbook.
I predict moblin

[john @ Jun 24th 2009 3:50PM]

Why do you predict Moblin (which Nokia has little experience with) over Maemo (which is Nokia's in house Linux dist)?

[john @ Jun 24th 2009 3:59PM]

I'm hoping for:

1) 9" or 10" screen convertible tablet netbook
2) OMAP3 CPU (and thus GOBS OF BATTERY LIFE)
3) Maemo 5 OS
4) 1024x600 resolution
5) at least an option for GSM/UMTS/HSPA data, but preferably the ability to use it as a full phone (via wired and/or bluetooth headsets, not by holding the netbook up to your face), with voice, SMS/MMS, and data.
6) it'd be nice to see them leverage the work Canonical did with Android's Dalvik runtime, and include that as well.

[MikeWard1701 @ Jun 24th 2009 4:18PM]

Another netbook coming you say?

Oh great, yet another drop in an ocean of them.

[MikeWard1701 @ Jun 24th 2009 4:20PM]

Unless it brings anything different to the market (other than being made by Nokia and Intel) whats the point?

[gerrrg @ Jun 24th 2009 4:32PM]

...and it'll be priced double that of the rest of the market.

[Thomas @ Jun 24th 2009 9:18PM]

The real difference will be the OS. Microsoft cannot bully Nokia. This netbook will feature Maemo or Moblin without apologies to Redmond OR a WinXP option.