VIA hatches scheme for netbook dominance

 

Gallery

By Stuart Turton

Posted on 28 Oct 2008 at 17:29

VIA has launched a new netbook initiative, as it attempts to make its name synonymous with low-cost laptops in Asia.

Dubbed the Global Mobility Bazaar, the initiative will see it partner with 15 Chinese manufacturers and Microsoft in order to pump out XP-based netbooks based around its C-7M and Nano low-power chips.

Alongside Microsoft, SanDisk will also be on hand to provide the solid state drives so prevalent in the devices. VIA is targeting devices with screens anywhere between 7in and 15in, giving a fairly comprehensive chunk of the market to aim at.

While the devices will undoubtedly be slower than those based on Intel's Atom processor, VIA is hoping to offset this with significant cuts in cost, which it hopes will drive uptake of the netbooks.

"As the fastest-growing segment of the PC market, mobile computing offers significant opportunities for the members of our new Global Mobility Bazaar program," says Richard Brown, VP of marketing at VIA.

"We are excited to be partnering with them to develop a broad spectrum of devices that will meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of mobile users in both developed and emerging markets."