BenQ decided to launch its own Atom-powered netbook this weekend during the IT Month in Taiwan and it's called the Joybook Lite U101. At first glance the Joybook Lite U101 might not seem that different to every other model already out there, but BenQ is the first to offer a 16:9 display on a netbook.

This isn't something we're overly keen about, since the 10.1in display offers a native resolution of 1,024x576, which means you lose out 24 lines of horizontal resolution compared to a 10.2in 16:10 display. The rest of the specs are fairly standard for netbooks these days, an Atom N270 CPU, Intel 945GSE chipset, 1GB of DDR2 memory (512MB for Linux versions), a range of hard drive options including 80-160GB mechanical drives, as well as 4-16GB SSD options.

Other features include built-in 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, 10/100Mbit Ethernet, a 1.3Megapixel Webcam, a 4-in-1 memory card reader, a D-sub connector, three USB 2.0 ports and a headphone and mic jack. The lid of the Joybook Lite U101 has a pattern on it which spells out Joybook Lite, and although it seems like the initial version has a blue lid, black, pink and white will become available.

The Joybook Lite U101 weighs in at 1.1kg and measures 258x189x32mm (WxHxD) at its thickest point. The keyboard seems to have been borrowed from Asus' Eee PC 1000-series, although it's even more cramped and it's missing the right Ctrl key, although the right shift key is just as on the Asus models located on the far right side, past the arrow keys, something we're not too keen on.

It's available now in Taiwan and for €398 (US$503/£331) you get a model with 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home, as well as a 3-cell battery that BenQ claims will give you 4H of battery life. An extended 6-cell battery will also be available as a cost option. Speaking of options, a model with HSDPA/HSUPA 3G connectivity will also be available at a later stage.

We snapped a couple of pictures of it at the show and we've added a few press photos, as well, below.