Discount supermarket offers not-so-cheap netbook

How much?

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

10th December 2008 10:14 GMT

Top marks to supermarket chain Lidl for missing the 'cheap' in 'Small, Cheap Computer'. It wants a whopping £390 for a bog-standard 10in netbook.

The irony is that Lidl is a discount chain and was apparently given Which?'s Best Value for Money Retailer award this year.

The Targa Netbook Traveller 1016 that Lidl wants the best part of four hundred notes for packs a typical SCC spec: 1.6GHz Intel Atom, 1GB of DDR 2 memory, 1.3-megapixel webcam, three USB ports etc.

It has a 160GB hard drive, which is above par, and 802.11n Wi-Fi rather than the more commonplace 802.11b/g, but nothing else in the hardware to justify the premium - you can buy a largely comparable Advent 4211 for £270 online. Go for an netbook with an 8.9in screen and a small solid-state drive and you get one for half the price of the Traveller.

Here's the reason: according to Lidl's website, the Traveller comes with "Genuine Microsoft Windows Vista Home Edition". Vista on a 1024 x 600 10in display, anyone?

Lidl warns that the Traveller 1016 is available at £390 "only while stocks last". Would anyone care to forecast how big the rush will be for this 'bargain'?

Thanks to reader Thomas for the tips.