Another Day, Another Mini-Notebook, Another Bout of Yawning

I’m sure you’re all getting tired of reading about these 8.9″ and 10″ screened devices here on GBM. They all have the same basic specs: The 1.6GHz Atom processor, small SSD drive, 8.9″ or 10″ screen, small keyboard, average battery life, and a choice of OS. Joining the fray is the ECS G10IL scheduled for a September Stateside release as reported by LAPTOPMag. The only real newsworthy item here is its marketing strategy in a feeble attempt at differentiation. According to the article:

…ECS vice president of sales Henry Kwan… thinks his company’s G10IL entry will bring something new to the market. Kwan shared that the G10IL will:

• Have EDGE, HSUPA, and HSPDA mobile broadband support. It will not have WiMAX support, like the Everex CloudBook Max.
• Come in two display-size variations: an 8.9-inch and a 10-inch. The 10-inch display will be the most likely to hit the U.S. market.
• Be available in the U.S. starting in September. There will be an 8GB SSD version running Linpus Lite 9.4 Linux and a 80GB hard drive version running Windows XP. Pricing will start at $399, but the least expensive systems will not include 3G options.
• Will be the first mini-notebook designed and marketed for business use, not education.

Call me naive, but I don’t see anything new or groundbreaking. I just see another $400 small notebook. It’s like marketing a Kia subcompact for its low fuel consumption to appease the environmentally conscious versus marketing the same sized car from Hyundai for its low price to draw in those affected by a lackluster economy. In the end, it’s the same car. What do you think it will take for the plethora of devices to REALLY stand out?