VIA-Equipped F88 Netbook Looks To Handle HD
For the most part, "netbook" and "HD capable" really don't go together.
Particularly if it's a netbook equipped with the all too familiar Atom
N270 + GMA 950 combo. But things look a bit different if the machine is
loaded with innards from a different manufacturer...namely, VIA.
The unheard of Shenzhen Zaiben Technology Company, likely a low-rate Chinese OEM, has just introduced a new "clamshell PC" dubbed the F88, which looks to be one of the most multimedia-friendly netbooks to date. Boasting a 10" display with a common 1024x600 resolution, the machine also features a 1.6GHz VIA Nano processor, a 160GB hard drive, Windows XP, 1GB of memory, and a 1.3MP webcam.
The real kicker is the VIA VX855 chipset and VIA S3 Chrome9 HC graphics, which supposedly enables high-def support. Of course, the screen resolution will prevent HD video from playing back full-screen, but the included HDMI output means that you can pipe the HD material to a nearby HDTV. Other specs include a 4-in-1 card reader, optional Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, two speakers, a microphone input, ExpressCard slot, VGA output, a headphone port and a 6-cell battery. There's no mention of a price, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a name you've heard of buy this bad boy, slap its label on there and get it out to store shelves in short order.
The unheard of Shenzhen Zaiben Technology Company, likely a low-rate Chinese OEM, has just introduced a new "clamshell PC" dubbed the F88, which looks to be one of the most multimedia-friendly netbooks to date. Boasting a 10" display with a common 1024x600 resolution, the machine also features a 1.6GHz VIA Nano processor, a 160GB hard drive, Windows XP, 1GB of memory, and a 1.3MP webcam.
The real kicker is the VIA VX855 chipset and VIA S3 Chrome9 HC graphics, which supposedly enables high-def support. Of course, the screen resolution will prevent HD video from playing back full-screen, but the included HDMI output means that you can pipe the HD material to a nearby HDTV. Other specs include a 4-in-1 card reader, optional Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, two speakers, a microphone input, ExpressCard slot, VGA output, a headphone port and a 6-cell battery. There's no mention of a price, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a name you've heard of buy this bad boy, slap its label on there and get it out to store shelves in short order.
