VIA may claim its Nano processor isn't for netbooks, but that won't stop Samsung next month unveiling a 12in notebook-not-netbook based on the chip.

According to Asian moles, the Samsung Nano-based machine - dubbed the NC20 - will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2009.

Specifications include 1GB of memory and a 160GB hard drive. There seems some confusion over which Nano it'll use, but the 1.2GHz U2500 seems the likely candidate.

Curiously, DigiTimes notes that "Intel has a restriction" in the size of netbooks it'll permit to use the Atom CPU - 7-10in, to be precise.

The implication is that Samsung had to use Nano in order to use a 12in display. Sounds like cobblers to us. Intel seems to have had no problem with Dell's 12in Inspiron Mini 12 using an Atom CPU - and one for handheld internet tablets, at that - and it's not the sort of company to encourage its customers to buy from rival CPU suppliers by imposing daft rules. ®

VIA Nano
CPU Preview

Related stories

• Computex VIA offshoot aims ARM SoC at Intel's Atom (1 June 2009)
• Samsung notebook-not-netbook gets VIA Nano CPU (27 February 2009)
• Asus intro Northern Lights notebooks (20 January 2009)
• CES Samsung shows off wall-mountable slotload Blu-ray box (8 January 2009)
• CES Samsung taps touchscreen phone UI for PMP (8 January 2009)
• M&S to sell Elonex netbooks (7 January 2009)
• MSI unwraps netbook with SSD and HDD (5 January 2009)
• Atom challengers poised for 2009 debut (31 December 2008)
• AMD readies 'Yukon' for netbook gold rush (14 November 2008)
• AMD's 'Bobcat' to leap out and claw Intel's Atom tomorrow? (12 November 2008)
• VIA and Nvidia nix netbook pact (5 November 2008)
• VIA, MS fuel China-led low-cost laptop invasion (28 October 2008)
• HP lets slip revamped netbook (27 October 2008)
• Netbook makers point to H2 '09 for dual-core mobile Atom debut (9 October 2008)