Great news from Lenovo, as the company officially announces the new IdeaPad S12, which is considered to be world’s first Nvidia Ion-powered netbook device and one of the only to join this category with an impressive 12-inch display, that easily can handle HD content and high-end gaming maneuvers , thanks to the staggering 1280×800 screen resolution, we barely can find among Atom-based machines, nowadays. With a next month scheduled release, our true excitement goes to the Ion chipset platform, that crams both Intel’s Atom 1.6 GHz processor and Nvidia 9400m graphics set in one tiny mote that flawlessly accelerates 1080p video decoding tasks and smoothly plays Blu-Ray high-def technology scenes without statering reactions. Other goodies you’d get for a starting price of $449, include a full-sized keyboard, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 4-in-1 card reader, VGA/HDMI outputs, WiFi, Bluetooth, three USB 2.0 sockets, ExpressCard slot expansion, 3-cell battery (6-cell optional) and 160/250/320GB HDD capacities to choose from – all operated by Microsoft’s Windows XP OS flavor. To learn more, checkout the full release after the break.
Update1: Hit the jump to watch LaptopMag video preview.
Update2: Checkout the videos from Notebooks.com after the break.
Update3: Looks like Lenovo IdeaPad S12 is finally up and available for purchase, starting at $499 for the base mode, which packs Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU with 1GB of DDR2 memory VGA / HDMI outputs and all the good specs noted above, but even more important, it has Nvidia’s ION chipset that runs 1080p video playback smoothly. Hit the link to get yours.
Update4: It seems Lenovo is now offering the IdeaPAd S12 with a VIA Nano ULV 2250 processor and VIA Chrome9 HC3 graphics, optional to the usual Atom/GMA 950 configuration, with a starting price of $450 and 6-cell battery included.
Update5: Save the date, Nvidia ION-based Lenovo S12 is finally out. The day is Thursday October 22nd, the place is Japan. The specs include a 12-inch 1280 x 800 display, 2GB of RAM, 250GB HDD, an HDMI port and multicard slot expansion. The price, ¥68,800 (about $755). What do we think? Too expensive at this point, but things will change on Western shores.
Update6: Now it’s official, the IdeaPad S12 is finally up on Lenovo’s online shop, listed in different configurations, as the Windows 7 edition runs for $599 and packs a 12.1-inch 1,280 x 800 display, along with a 1.6GHz N270 processor, a 250GB hard drive, a 256MB Nvidia Ion chipset, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 6-cell battery, and that Windows 7 Home Premium edition, pre-installed inside.
[Lenovo]