Apricot resurrected as netbook maker

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 16 Oct 2008 at 11:04

Apricot is to launch a netbook in the UK, nearly ten years after the company disappeared from these shores.

Dubbed the PicoBook Pro, the netbook treads a familiar path, featuring a 1024 x 600 8.9in screen, a 1.2GHz VIA C-7 processor, 1GB RAM and 60GB hard drive.

However, it does stand out in a couple of areas, most notably in offering an ExpressCard slot and support for 802.11a Wi-Fi as well as 802.11b/g. There's also optional WiMAX support.

The PicoBook Pro sports the usual choice of Linux or Windows XP, with the cost rising from £279 to £328 if you decide to follow the winding Windows road.

Apricot is touting a battery life of around four hours for the device, which is available for order now and will ship by the end of the month.

Apricot was a fairly recognisable name fifteen years ago, but struggled to compete with IBM and HP as the PC bandwagon really began to roll. The company was shutdown in 1999, after being acquired by Mitsubishi to help it compete in Japan.