Pegatron are to release a smartbook before the end of 2009. The smartbook will feature an 8.9 inch display, but opts for an ARM processor instead of the traditional Intel Atom netbook processor. While the ARM processor may not be as powerful as Intel processors, the CPU will actually use less power. Standard specs of the smartbook includes a 2 cell battery, which seems pretty disappointing, but it’s said to last for about 8 hours due to the ARM 800MHz processor.

As the ARM processor isn’t supported by Windows XP, Vista or 7, the smartbook will most probably run Linux, but it could also possibly come with Google Android or Windows CE. When the smartbook is released, it should retail for around $120.

IT Pro Portal have previewed the smartbook and compared it for size up against the Asus Eee PC 1005HA.

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China’s Skytone, which officially announced its upcoming Android-powered Alpha 680 netbook a week back, says the retail price of their product when it comes out within the next three months could be $250. For a “netbook” that only has a 7-inch screen, 128 MB of DDR2 RAM, 1GB SSD, and 533 MHz ARM processor, the Alpha 680 is raising a lot of expectations, primarily because it promises to be the world’s first netbook to be truly running Android as an OS. At its base configuration, the Alpha 680 is projected to cost the earlier mentioned $250 retail price, but it is said that the company is working on ways to bring it down by launch. For now, its specs are somewhat appealing, and the price is still quite forgivable, but we’ll have to wait for a chance at using it in real life to judge if it’s really worth any of our attention.

Via Computerworld

If Russian site Mobile-Review’s editor Eldar is to be believed, we won’t just see ARM’s multi-core Sparrow processor on netbooks by 2011, but also on Nokia’s very first Linux-based MID. Pictured above is a mockup the guys at Unwired View did of the device, which is said to be a multi-slide keyboard and display equipped computer and cellphone hybrid. Its keys are small, diamond shaped and elevated, and they change with every application running on the device’s display. All this is based on info Eldar spewed after he got the chance to play with a prototype in one of Nokia’s closed booths at Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona. He also revealed a bit of the juicy stuff, but there’s surely more to know that he just won’t say. It would be interesting to see how Nokia’s final, finished product turns out. We’ll be giving updates on this as we get them, but for now, check out the sites linked below for more info.

Via Electronic Pulp and Unwired View

During its presentation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, mobile phone processor maker ARM announced plans for a new chip called “Sparrow” which could offer a multi core solution to netbooks in the future. According to the company, Sparrow is a small, inexpensive chip that’s based on the same processor chip being used in the Palm Pre, and has about enough processing power as an ARM11, the chip used in Apple’s iPhone. Now, you might wonder, how can a processor based on something made for smartphones (as hinted by the last few sentences) be used to power netbooks in the future? ARM answered this in their MWC presentation by saying that a Cortex-A9 can deliver around 1500 DMIPS of processing capability per core, with up to four cores. They even showed a multiprocessing-capable version of the Symbian OS. Ubuntu for ARM is scheduled to go public in April 2009, so we might see the first fruits of ARM’s labor in retail with netbooks, then.

Via PC World