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$250 Google Netbook Debuts This Summer

By Jess Kilby,  Newser User

Posted Apr 27, 2009 3:15 AM CDT
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(Newser) – The first netbook running the Google-backed Android mobile operating system could be available within 3 months for $250, ComputerWorld reports. The petite, no-frills Alpha 680 with a 7-inch wide screen will be the smallest netbook yet, weighing a dainty 1.5 pounds and meansuring 8.5 by 6 inches. It's made by a small, obscure Chinese company and uses Google’s Linux-based OS and a chip designed for smartphones.

The stripped-down machine comes with built-in WiFi but very few applications. Its creators stress that the netbook is not necessarily aimed at rich Westerners, but at the other “80% of the world” who would benefit from access to the Web. "Watching TV over the Internet is not the most urgent thing for them," said the company’s co-founder.

Christine Wright of Hewlett Packard Company holds one of a new class of netbooks in San Francisco last year.
Christine Wright of Hewlett Packard Company holds one of a new class of netbooks in San Francisco last year.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
The Acer Aspire netbook with integrated 3G wireless technology. Experts predict the new Alpha 680 will launch a wave of cheaper netbooks using smartphone chips and Linux operating systems.
The Acer Aspire netbook with integrated 3G wireless technology. Experts predict the new Alpha 680 will launch a wave of cheaper netbooks using smartphone chips and Linux operating systems.   (PRNewsFoto/RadioShack Corporation)
Dell exec Michael Tatelman holds up the new 10-inch netbook Inspiron Mini 10 during a Dell news conference at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas early this year.
Dell exec Michael Tatelman holds up the new 10-inch netbook Inspiron Mini 10 during a Dell news conference at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas early this year.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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