Lenovo unveils 10in IdeaPad S10

That Lenovo 'netbook' we mentioned last week -  it's here! Freshly announced this morning, the IdeaPad S10 is Lenovo's official response to the Eee PC that we hear is selling rather well at the moment.

Like similar rivals, it gets a 10.2in widescreen (LED backlit, no less) and a 1.6GHz Atom processor but also a multitouch trackpad and, most importantly, an 85% full-size QWERTY keyboard that should make typing a more pleasurable experience. Jealous? Click through for more.

Other premium touches include a 1.3mp webcam, Bluetooth and an all too rare ExpressCard slot. It also boasts advanced heat-dissipation technology to prevent lap-burn. A six-cell battery, good for six hours, is optional.

It comes in black, red or white and measures a respectable 250x183x28mm and is 22mm at its slimmest. The lightest configuration weighs in at 1.1 kg.

Prices aren't too bad either. The base model with a traditional 80GB hard drive and slightly underpowered 512MB RAM is just $400 with a three-cell, three-hour battery. An modest $50 extra will double the hard drive and boost the RAM to a more acceptable 1GB.

As expected, they'll start shipping in September, with deliveries due in the US on the 28th. First supplies will be XP models, though we're promised XP and Linux options here. We're still waiting for a UK release date but we'll update when we can.

[ PC Magazine]