BenQ is one of few vendors to embrace AMD's Yukon mobile platform, but up till now it has used it only on its all-in-ones.
Now it has stuck a 1GHz Sempron 200U into a 13.3-inch creation dubbed Joybook Lite T131. Although the CPU doesn't seem too impressive, especially now that AMD has launched dual-core CPUs for thin and light notebooks, the rest of the spec is not bad.
Unlike most new 13-inchers, the T131 features a 1280x800 screen, but at least it's matte. You get 1GB of memory, Radeon X1270 IGP, a 250 or a 320GB hard drive, two USB pots and n-draft wireless. Also, unlike Atom-based netbooks, it ships with Vista Home Basic, and you can upgrade to Vista Business, although you'd better get an extra gigabyte of RAM in the process.
The new Joybook measures 320 x 240 x 28mm, and it weighs about 1.8kg with a 6-cell battery, which according to Benq, can deliver some 3 hours of battery life.
It might not be as small or powerful as 13-inchers based on Intel's CULV platform, but it should end up quite a bit cheaper. Considering Acer sells its entry-level Timeline SKU for under €600, with more memory, storage and a higher res screen, this thing could easily end up with netbook pricing.