Packard Bell dot m/a AMD-powered netbook announced

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25 June 2009 18:20 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Packard Bell has added the first AMD processor-based netbook to its dot range, for some reason naming it the "m/a". It's been launched as the more sensibly named Gateway LT3100 in other territories.

Apparently showing PB's "deep conviction in the key importance of the netbook market", the dot m/a joins the dot s and dot m, but shuns Intel's Atom for the AMD Athlon 64 L110 low power processor with the boast of 4 hours battery life from a 3-cell effort.

With a 11.6-inch, 16:9 ratio display, the new dot weighs 1.25kg, gets 160GB hard drive, 1GB RAM (can be up to 320GB/2GB) while the keyboard is described as "quite as large as a regular notebook's one".

There's also an ATI Radeon X1270 graphics chipset with up to 512 MB HyperMemory, a multi-gesture touchpad, five-in-one card reader, webcam, PB's XSync for file transfer while optional extras include Bluetooth and mobile broadband

Unlike most netbooks, the dot m/a will come pre-installed with Windows Vista Basic or Home Premium and will be available in black ("the everlasting colour of elegance") or in red and black from July for £350.