It was all but confirmed anyway, following reports that Via was preparing to ship a large microprocessor order, but now thanks to an official announcement we know that the Samsung NC20 netbook will indeed utilize a Nano CPU – specifically the 1.3GHz U2250. This is a major shot in the arm for Via, which has been trying to get a foothold in the crowded netbook market for a while, and could lead to an important change of fortune for the company depending on how well the netbook performs on the market.


The NC20 continues to blur the line between netbooks and notebooks thanks to a 12.1-inch LED backlit display with 1280x800px resolution. It also has 1GB of DDR2 memory, VIA Chrome9 graphics, a 160GB hard drive, 802.11g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a full-sized keyboard, and a six-cell battery rated for six hours of run time. Pricing will be a big factor for Via to gain on Intel in the netbook market, though the announcement doesn’t mention anything about it, or the Samsung NC20’s expected launch date. Read on for the full press release.

Samsung Adopts VIA Nano Processor for the Samsung NC20 12.1″ Mini-Notebook

VIA Nano processor platform enables the Samsung NC20 to deliver superior performance and battery life in a sleek 12.1″ mini-notebook form factor

Taipei, Taiwan, 27 February 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced that Samsung has adopted the VIA Nano processor in the new Samsung NC20 mini-notebook.

Combining the power efficient 1.3+GHz VIA Nano™ processor with the highly-integrated VIA VX800 system media processor, the Samsung NC20 also features a stunning 1280×800 12.1″ display, ensuring an outstanding video experience and enabling a full-size 12″ notebook keyboard with optimized 18.5mm key spacing and larger touchpad in a highly portable device that weighs just 1.52kg.

Mobility is enhanced by 802.11b/g and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a six-cell battery that provides up to 6.5 hours of use independent of any power supply, while storage options include either a solid state disk or a SATA hard disk drive. Other features include an integrated 1.3 mega pixel digital motion camera, 3-in-1 memory card reader and three built-in USB ports.

“We are delighted that Samsung has adopted the VIA Nano processor for the Samsung NC20,” said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “This is a truly ground-breaking product that sets the new industry standard for consumer mini-notes and clearly demonstrates the advanced performance of our VIA Nano processor platform.”

Samsung NC20 Mini-Notebook Specifications
Screen: 12.1″ LED WXGA (1280 x 800)
CPU: VIA Nano™ ULV Processor U2250 (1.3+GHz, 800MHz)
Chipset: VIA VX800 Unified Digital Media IGP Chipset
Graphics: Integrated VIA Chrome9™ with DirectX 9.0 3D graphics support and hardware video acceleration
OS: Microsoft○R Windows XP Home Edition
Memory: 1GB DDR2 (1*SODMM)
Storage: 160GB HDD (9.5mmH 2.5”HDD, SATA)
Webcam: 1.3 Mega pixels web camera
LAN: 10/100Mbps LAN
Wireless: Atheros 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth: 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
I/O Ports: USB2.0 x 3, Ethernet LAN, 3-in-1 card reader
Battery: 6 cells Li-ion Battery Standard
Dimensions: 292.4mm x 217mm x 30.7mm
Weight: 1.52kg
Special Features: 6.5 hours battery life
Colors: White