Archos launches super-slim 10s netbook

 

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Posted on 3 Jul 2009 at 10:36

Archos today showed off a new model in its netbook range, the Archos 10s. The "s" stands for Slim, referring to the 22mm height of the new model, which was achieved by using magnesium in the case. The case feels sturdy and looks stylish, with a matt-silver clamshell sandwiching white interior panels.

We tried out the keyboard, which uses the full width of the case and has large, comfortably-shaped keys that are firm and give plenty of feedback. The keyboard layout is our only niggle, with the Function key placed to the left of the Control key, and the Backslash key placed above the half-size Enter key. The touchpad has one button on each side of the pad, and has a glossy surface which demands dry fingertips.

There's a bright and colourful 10.2in, LED-backlit screen that has a native resolution of 1,024x600. Inside there's a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard disk. There are three USB ports, a card reader and LAN port, as well as 802.11b/g wireless networking support and a built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam.

There's also a built-in 3G modem, so you'll be able to connect to the internet on the move. Archos hasn't announced any partnerships with network providers, but assured us that connection software will come bundled with the Archos 10s so that customers can use their own SIM card. The Archos 10s will be available in July with a choice of two batteries: a 3-cell version will cost £320 and a 6-cell version £350.

Author: Barry de la Rosa