Archos jumps on Moorestown bandwagon

Archos 10 - announced last month and already upgraded
Archos 10 - announced last month and already upgraded

Archos today announced a collaboration with Intel to develop and market MiniPC netbooks based on the Intel Atom processor and Intel's second generation Moorestown platform.

It also launched a new 10s MiniPC netbook and 9" MiniPC Tablet with handwriting recognition.

Archos says that it "is excited to be working with Intel on future MiniPC Tablets based on Intel's next generation platform codenamed Moorestown". It's first devices are scheduled to launch by 2010 with "the performance and compatibility of the Moorestown platform making it possible for Archos to continue to innovate with smaller, thinner form factors while continuing to grow the capabilities of its devices."

Slim netbook

Until then, you'll have to make do with a brace of MiniPC netbooks. The 10s, which arrives in April, is an upgrade to its 10 netbook confirmed last month, with the ultra-slim 10s measuring just 20mm thick and offering 3.5G and Wi-Fi radios, an Intel Atom chip with 1GB of memory and hard drives up to 160GB.

The other new device is the 9" MiniPC tablet, due to surface in the autumn. This touchscreen computer boasts a virtual keyboard, handwriting recognition and a trackpoint mouse.

The 9" MiniPC Tablet promises to be skinny for a tablet, weighing a mere 800g and measuring just 17 mm thick.

Inside, the tablet will feature hard drive options of 60 to 160GB and, surprise, surprise, will feature the Intel Atom processor Z5xx series and Intel System Controller Hub. Both new netbooks will have digital TV tuners.

Mark Harris is Senior Research Director at Gartner.