Acer Review, Asus Review – Netbook 10

Turns out Samsung and Lenovo have both delayed the release of their 12″ ION-bearing computing goodies (netbooks). Both netbooks should be available at the end of October, after the launch of Windows 7. Apparently they just realized that Windows Vista was preventing their netbooks from reaching their full potential.

It’ll be a race between the 11.6″ Samsung N510 and the 12.1″ Lenovo S12 Ideapad to claim the title of first netbook to sport nVidia ION and both have been delaying this moment for months now.

Lenovo has already released the non-ION version of the S12 Ideapad (read our full review) which works well but could undoubtedly benefit from the 9300/9400 GeForce card. The non-ION version is selling for a steep $500. No word on how much the ION model will cost.

Samsung on the other hand has been guarding its N510 pretty closely and it isn’t available to the broad public. Or perhaps only in the US. NetbookNews.de based in Germany somehow got their hands on one for an unboxing and posted a ton of photos online, comparing the N510 to it’s (smaller) sister netbook, the NC10. They were quite thrilled with the Samsung N510 and its nVidia ION 9400 GeForce card (the same graphics card in the 13″ MacBook).

Word is the N510 will be available for $600. Full specs of the N510 are at the end of the post.

So there you have it. Neither the ION version of the Lenovo S12 nor the Samsung N510 will be out anytime soon. They’re quite fortunate that they both seemed to hit these roadblocks at the same time. Seems a little too convenient – I wonder if nVidia or Microsoft had something to do with the dual delays.

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If you’re looking for a 12″ netbook and can’t wait the additional additional two months, consult our list of Top 12 Inch Netbooks for your perfect match.

While the 11.6″ Acer Aspire 1410 (formerly known as the Timeline) doesn’t sport the same (awesome) graphics as the Lenovo S12 and the Samsung N510 will, it’s available right now and has some pretty decent specs. You can buy it from Amazon  in sapphire blue for $450. The black and ruby red units are up for pre-order.

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Samsung N510 Specs

• Processor – 
1.6 Ghz Atom N270
• Graphics – nVidia ION 9400 GeForce
• Memory – RAM 1 GB
• Storage – 160 GB HDD
• Display –11.6″ 1366 * 768 (matte screen)
• Connectivity – 802.11 b/g – no N, Bluetooth 2.1
• Ports –  3 x USB, 1 x HDMI
• Battery –  6cell 5200 mAh

(Via Unboxing at NetbookNews.de)

Related posts:

1. NVIDIA’s ION makes its debut netbook appearance in the Lenovo IdeaPad S12
2. Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Sans NVIDIA Now Available
3. Upcoming Netbook Related Launches, Netbook Release Dates
4. Lenovo S10 10.2″ Ideapad Netbook Review
5. Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Review : Surprisingly Good

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