BenQ Launches 13.3-inch AMD-based Netbook

Too big to be a netbook, and not enough horsepower to be a notebook.


BenQ should stick to projectors.

reasons this is NOT a netbook:
Vista
Not low enough power CPU
Screen resolution I would actually like

Just because they managed to make a cheap notebook that also has too few USB ports and no optical drive does not mean its a netbook. Even if it is small, wait, its not - macbooks are this size too (I only use the M word because they are the most common laptops at this size, other companies prefer 15.4" for the most part)

I don't think it matter what OS it is running. It is more important to judge a netbook by its capabilities/power requirements. While a semperon isn't flexing too much muscle, it isn't quite like was the Atom is, which is what defines netbooks right now.

From what I found, AMD Sempron could run as low power as 8 or 9 watts. So, I don't think they are overpowering.

Take a look at these links:
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/32262/135/
http://www.pcconnection.com/IPA/Sh [...] ku=8409249
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/co [...] 34134A.pdf

I don't quite understand. Basically, they took a notebook from two years ago (something powered by a Sempron Mobile) re-labeled it, and now call it a netbook? It's 13+ inches, comes with Vista, and sports a regular HDD. It even looks like a 3000-series Acer Aspire in a way.


If it looks, feels, smells, and tastes like a notebook, it's a notebook.

I have a LAN Party rig with a built in touch LCD and no optical drive and a UPS. Its a netbook too.

I'd call something trying to run Vista on a Sempron processor a piece of cr@p.

Only 3 hrs of battery. Otherwise nice looking device! Probably loads better to play basic games on than my Intel GMA laptop.

too big for a netbook. well, size matters to me.

Loads of people don't want to call it a netbook because of the display size. Probably right. Let's call it something else then, but the product is attractive to some people. My mom wanted a netbook, but couldn't find herself buying one as they all come with tiny screens. A 13" screen might be the solution to her needs. If the pricing is reasonable, and availability is there, I might give her one of these for her birthsday next month.

Of course, the screen size also begs as to exactly what sort of size of keyboard it comes with. (from the pics, I can't be sure if it's 100% or 95% size) It's true that this is a little on the wide side to be a netbook, but perhaps it's lighter than a notebook; remember the weight is a factor here. However, 1.8 kg is a tad heavy for a netbook, which was originally defined by the 0.9 kg Eee 700. I'm not sure if I'd really call it a notebook, though, as those done seem to come under 2.0-2.5 or so.

As far as power goes, a Sempron 200U most certainly ain't a mainstream chip; it's very clearly in the Atom realm, with an 8w TDP, and a clock rate of 1000 MHz. Probably even weaker than the lower-end Atom N270s you see packed into other netbooks. Similarly, the use of DDR2-400 also is definitely unlike a notebook, where you'd expect more proper DDR2.

All we really need to see now is the price. It's treading on a bit of thin ice by sticking us with what is clearly netbook-level horsepower, but coming bulkier than the market's common netbooks. If we get netbook-level pricing, (no more than $500-600US) I'm sure plenty will eye this as a good tradeoff of bulkiness for a screen big enough to use. But if it costs too much, it's just going to be a small notebook that does nothing terribly well.

they wouldn't call it a netbook if priced higher than consumers can accept for a netbook.