AfterDawn: News

First Android Netbook will cost $250?

According to a thorough Computerworld report,the first Netbook to use Google's Android as an operating system will be available in July and will cost about $250 USD.

Dubbed the Alpha 680, the laptop is in its final stages at the testing facilities of Guangzhou Skytone Transmission Technologies.



The Netbook has a 533MHz ARM 11 processor, has a 7-inch LCD screen with unknown resolution, and built-in Wi-Fi. Other specs are not known, but it is known that the netbook will only include a 2-cell battery, with meager 3 hour battery life while surfing the Internet.

Recently, market research firm Ovum predicted that Netbooks running Android platforms will emerge in 2009, as manufacturers try to bring the price Netbooks to under $200 USD. Android is open source and therefore does not require expensive licenses, such as those needed for netbooks running Windows operating systems such as Vista or XP.

For reviews of three current popular netbooks please view here: Afterdawn Netbooks Hands-on: Reviewing the Asus Eee PC 901, the Acer Aspire One 110, and the MSI Wind U100.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 26 Apr 2009 20:12

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• 4 comments

• ivymike

  Hopefully, Android is one step closer to competing with Micro$oft , Apple & Linux on desktop PC's.

  26.4.2009 21:15 #1

• domie

  Quote:The Netbook has a 533MHz ARM 11 processor, a 7-inch LCD screen with unknown resolution, and include a 2-cell battery.well there you have 3 reasons already why it will probably fail abysmally :-
  
  1) screen size may sound cute but it's a real strain on the eyes at such a small size and reading internet articles easily will be impossible
  
  2) don't know too much about that processor but 533 MHz seems very lightweight and slow, clock speed isn'y everything but 533 ?
  
  3) a 2 cell battery is the weakest point - they may say it will last 3 hours for internet surfing but as has been seen with all other netbooks - the reality is about half of what the manufacturers claim.
  
  - it's true that XP Netbooks are more expensive because of the licence fee for the o/s but there are plenty of netbooks out there that run fine on open source linux alternatives.

  27.4.2009 05:37 #2

• xyqo

  Originally posted by ivymike: Hopefully, Android is one step closer to competing with Micro$oft , Apple & Linux on desktop PC's.Android is Linux

  28.4.2009 10:49 #3

• Mez

  It is a great idea!
  
  What they say they are.
  http://www.android.com/about/

  30.4.2009 06:45 #4