Lenovo And Samsung Delaying Ion Netbooks For Windows 7 Launch

Hey, here's a quick quiz just to see how well you've been paying attention over the past few months. Do you remember Lenovo's Ion-powered IdeaPad S12? What about Samsung's Ion-powered N510? If not, you're certainly not alone. Both machines have gone radio silent since debuting a few months back, and yes, it's intentional.

Various reports are now flying around suggesting that both of these cutting-edge netbooks have been delayed for a few months yet. The reason? Windows 7. Reportedly, both Lenovo and Samsung are waiting until Windows 7 ships to actually ship their newest netbooks. The rationale here is simple: with only two months to go before Win7 hits the shelves, why not wait and give consumers an upgraded software experience from the start? And since we all now know that Windows XP can't be upgraded to Windows 7 without losing all of one's data, the choice to hold back makes even more sense.


Early reports suggest that Windows 7 runs like a champion on Atom-powered netbooks, and we have no doubts that it will run great on Ion-powered notebooks as well. These decisions leave us to wonder whether buying a netbook now is even a smart move. You'll have a tough time upgrading, you'll have to deal with the upgrade, and you'll get only two months of use from it before being tempted by an all new version of Windows. Who knows--maybe patience really is a virtue at this point.