Not long after making the A600 premium all-in-one desktop available, Lenovo has introduced the C300, a new all-in-one nettop based on the Intel Atom platform. Starting at just $449, the new 20-inch all-in-one offers another compact option for shoppers on a budget.
Specifications:
- Processor: Intel Atom 230 @ 1.6GHz (single core, not dual core)
- Graphics: Intel GMA950
- Memory: up to 4GB DDR2 667
- Hard drive: up to 640GB
- Networking: 10/100 Ethernet
- Wireless networking: optional 802.11a/b/g
- 1.3MP webcam
- 6 USB2.0 ports
- 6-in-1 multicard reader
- Built-in stereo speakers (3 watts)
- Operating system: Windows XP Home, Windows Vista Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium
The new C300 has three variable starting prices. The entry model, at $449, comes with 1GB of memory and a 160GB hard drive. Stepping up to $499 gets you 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive, while the top of the line model at $579 comes with 3GB of DDR2 RAM and a 500GB hard drive. All three of those configurations come with 802.11g wireless networking.
Lenovo's latest efforts at increasing their consumer marketshare are really starting to show in the design of the newest products. The C300, like the A600 before it, is very stylish and frankly much prettier than something we've come to expect from the Chinese OEM. No doubt that's precisely the attitude they're trying to change.
The new nettops will have a tray-loading DVD drive and overall look similar to HP's own all-in-one TouchSmart series, thanks to the big hinged support in the back. The only potential downside to the C300 is Lenovo's choice to use the Atom 230, a single core processor, instead of the Atom 330, the dual core variant. It's understandable that in a netbook power must be conserved at almost all costs in order to preserve and prolong battery life. In a nettop, however, while power efficiency is always welcome, so too would the extra power a second core would bring. Similar efforts by MSI and Shuttle both offer dual core variants.
Lenovo's C300 is expected to begin shipping next month.
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