Point of View launches Mobii ION netbook

21 July 2009 16:08 GMT / By Lars-Göran Nilsson

Point of View is known for its Nvidia-based graphics cards, but it now seems like they’re getting ready to break in to the competitive netbook market with an Nvidia ION based netbook.

We saw this specific model at Computex last month, although it was displayed under a couple of different brands, neither of which was Point of View.

The Mobii ION mini notebook, as Point of View calls its netbook, isn’t what we’d call a stunner in terms of looks and the models we had a play with at Computex felt cheap and tacky.

The two main selling points of this netbook is the ION chipset and the HDMI port, as the combination of the two should appeal to those that want a portable media player that can be connected to a high definition TV set or a projector.

What is strange about the Mobii is the fact that it uses a desktop Atom 230 processor rather than the mobile N270 or N280. This means that there are no power saving features, so don’t expect great battery life. On top of this, the 3- and 6-cell batteries are fairly basic in terms of power output compared to what we’ve seen from the likes of Asus and Samsung of late.

The 10.2-inch display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and as such you can only watch full resolution HD video on an external display. At 1.4kg, the Mobii is also quite heavy compared to many recent netbooks at this size, especially as this is only with the 3-cell battery.

At launch the Mobii will be available in black, neon green and red. No word on pricing or availability as yet, but the only thing that will distinguish the Mobii is a low price point.