NEC announces Yonah laptop plans

IDG News Service - NEC Corp. disclosed plans on Monday for its first laptop computer based on Intel Corp.'s Yonah dual-core mobile processor.

Yonah is the code-name for the dual-core version of Intel's Pentium M processor for laptops and small desktops. The chip is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2006 and is expected to be one of Intel's main new products for next year.

The Lavie RX LR900 laptop was announced on the same day as NEC's 2006 PC lineup. The company disclosed full technical details for the computer with the exception of the processor and chip set, which it listed as Yonah and Mobile Intel 945 Express family, respectively.

NEC said the LR900 will be based on Windows XP Home Edition, come with 512MB of main memory and a 100GB hard-disk drive. It will have a 14.1-in. LCD, DVD Super Multi drive (DVD-R/+R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/+RW), 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The machine will weigh about 2 kilograms, and the battery will provide enough power to last about four hours.

NEC intends to put the machine on sale sometime in 2006 for around $1,945 in its basic configuration, said Susumu Sakamoto, a spokesman for NEC in Tokyo.

That the company is working on a Yonah-based laptop is no surprise. NEC is one of Intel's biggest customers in Japan and the nation's leading PC maker. It enjoyed a 20% market share in the first half of 2005, according to an estimate released Tuesday by IDC Japan.

Fujitsu Ltd. was ranked the No. 2 PC vendor, with a 18% share, ahead of Dell Inc., 12%; Toshiba Corp., 9%; and Hewlett-Packard Co., 6%, according to IDC's figures.

Reprinted with permission from

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