(Credit: Liliputing )
Gadget watchers on the tubes are atwitter with news that Commodore–it of iconic ’80s C64 and Amiga fame–is making a decidedly 2008 move by joining the nascent but red-hot Netbook market.
The company’s UMMD 8010/F, announced at the IFA consumer show in Berlin, will sport a 1.6GHz Via C7-M processor and will have an 80GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and optional Bluetooth. The machine will have 10-inch display and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Prices are expected to start at $610.
In making the Netbook move, Commodore adds to the fast-growing new category of small, cheap laptops exemplifed by Asus’ Eee PC.
With low-power processors, and tiny screens and keyboards, most Netbooks available today aren’t good for much more than surfing the Web, checking e-mail, working on office documents, and maybe a little minor multimedia playback–though those tasks do comprise a bulk of what most people do on their laptops.
No doubt some consumers will be drawn to the Commodore UMMD 8010/F for its nostalgic appeal. But before they buy, they might want to take a look at CNET editor Dan Ackerman’s tips for finding the perfect Netbook.