Samsung, Acer team up with AT&T on netbooks

AT&T said the Samsung Go and Acer Aspire One, both of which run Microsoft's new operating system Windows 7, will cost 199 dollars after a mail-in rebate and with the purchase of a two-year AT&T data service contract.

AT&T said the netbooks, which feature 10-inch (25.4-centimeter) screens and weigh less than three pounds (1.4 kilograms), will be availabe in stores later this month.

"Demand for netbooks remains strong among consumers, small business customers and those who desire constant access to the Internet while on the go," said David Haight, AT&T emerging devices vice president.

The Samsung Go from Samsung Electronics America, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corp., features an Intel Atom Processor, 160-gigabyte hard drive, 1GB of memory and a 1.3 megapixel Web camera.

The Acer Aspire One also has an Intel Atom processor, a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of memory. In addition, it features two speakers, a video conferencing feature and a built-in webcam.

Sales of netbook or mini-notebooks have provided a rare bright spot this year amid a global slump in personal computer sales.

Research group Gartner forecasts that mini-notebook shipments will total 21 million units in 2009, up from 11.7 million units in 2008, although they will still only represent just eight percent of PC shipments this year.

(c) 2009 AFP