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Tech specifications for the netbook that Google is rumored to be creating have been “leaked,” according to England’s IBTimes.
The netbook, which various reports say will arrive in time for the 2010 holiday season, will reportedly run Google’s Chrome OS and feature a 10.1-inch, high-definition multitouch display, an ARM processor-said to offer better performance and lower power consumption than an Intel Atom-an Nvidia Tegra 2 graphics chip set, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB solid-state drive.
With no shortage of connectivity options, it’s said to include 3G connectivity as well as Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth and an Ethernet port. Google applications, such as Google Maps, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar and Google voice search are, of course, expected to be onboard. Other anticipated features include a Webcam, a 3.5-millimeter audio jack, a multi-in-one card reader, a few USB ports and the choice of a four- or six-cell battery for either 8 or 12 hours of unplugged use.
The price? IBTimes said it will reportedly be under $300 and be sold by Google directly to customers. In the United States, however, that’s expected to be a price subsidized by a mobile carrier, which would bundle the netbook with a 3G plan.
The battery life, the healthy processor and petite price point hint that a Google netbook could be a competitor to Nokia’s Booklet 3G, the phone maker’s first foray into the PC space.
Nokia introduced the Booklet 3G on Oct. 13, in partnership with AT&T and Best Buy. It runs Windows 7, features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and is priced at $299 with an AT&T monthly contract.
Google is also developing a smartphone, called the Nexus One and based on its Android mobile operating system, that the search engine company could sell directly to customers. Just as some believe that Google is solely using Nexus One to test a new version of Android with Google’s employee user base, and that it won’t be released to the public, some are doubtful that Google will release its own netbook.
Arguments against Google offering a netbook include the need to support the hardware, the risk of Google alienating vendor partners and that Google could potentially make more money by simply focusing on Chrome OS.
IBTimes did not name the source of the “leaked specs.”