Lenovo to break rules with 12-inch netbook?

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DigiTimes is reporting that Lenovo is prepping a 12-inch IdeaPad netbook called the S20. The machine will apparently use an Intel Atom N280 CPU while ignoring Intel’s specification that Atom-based machines must feature screens smaller than 10 inches.

According to the report, by breaking the 10-inch rule Lenovo misses out on preferential CPU pricing and must purchase the Atom chips “at Intel’s officially announced price, which is around US$10 higher than typical quotes to vendors of Lenovo’s size.”

The IdeaPad S20 will apparently be priced around $20,000 (New Taiwan dollars), which is about $586 in US dollars. I’d think that the actual selling price here in the US would be closer to $499-$549, though. No word on an actual release date yet.