The Via “Imini” Netbook is set to conquer China
By Wilson • Sep 3rd, 2008 • Category: LaptopsThe Chinese state run company “Tsinghua Tongfang” has made a giant spectacle of introducing the “S1 Imini” in Beijing. The gadget should be spread out all across China and develop into the country’s new standard.
Just like other large netbooks, the Imini possesses a 10 inch display with a 1,024 x 600 pixel resolution, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM and an 80 GB hard drive. However, Intel’s Atom is not the processor of choice; instead the 1.6 GHz VIA C7-M processor together with the VX700 chip set, which consist of only one single component, runs the computer.
The netbook is equipped with a VGA port, 3 USB 2.0 ports, a card reader for SD cards, fast Ethernet, and WiFi according to the 802.11b/g laptop standard. The laptop’s 1.2 kilogram weight and 3 cell battery is also fairly standard, as the Advent 4211 Netbook with a 10 inch display weighs around the same, for example. The netbook has been created on the basis of VIA’s OpenBook design, which is classified under the creative commons license. VIA is soon expected to come to Europe with similar devices.
As we can see from a YouTube video marketing the computer, the S1 Imini will immediately be available in the five colours, white, blue, black, pink, and gold, and various designs are also available for the reverse side of the display.
Tsinghua Tongfang, one of the largest Chinese computer manufacturers, should offer the computer in all of the country’s large cities. The device is going for 3,998 Chinese Yuan, which puts it in the typical £300 range for netbooks. The laptop is clearly aimed at the rapidly growing Chinese upper middle class, who are very western lifestyle oriented. Even in large cities like Beijing where the average yearly income is 7,500 US dollars, the netbook will still take up nearly a full month’s wages.
Tags for this article: laptop, netbook
