Surprise, surprise, LAPTOP Magazine has word of the ECS G10IL coming to the United States sometime in September. As expected, it will not be carrying the ECS brand (and may even carry a different name) – it will be sold through another company with a different brand.
A few notes about the US-bound ECS G10IL:
– Mobile broadband options – EDGE, HSUPA, HSPDA
– Mobile broadband not available on low-end versions
– Probably just 10-inch (similar to the MSI U100
– Storage: 8GB SSD with Linux, or 80GB HDD with Windows XP
– Pricing starting at $399
– Designed/marketed for business use instead of education.
– Production to start in mid-August
I find it interesting that it’s targeted towards business use. In my experience, from conversations I’ve had with people, and from what I’ve read, a lot of companies are touting businesses or students as the target audience (and it’s true, those two groups probably are the biggest customers over the long term), but they are ignoring other audiences. I’ve come across a lot of people who are not gadget freaks or would not be considered “power users” or travelers who would favor such a small form factor, but who are very much interested in these devices.
LAPTOP Magazine has an interview with ECS vice president of sales Henry Kwan about the ECS G10IL, and it’s journey to the US (link below).
Read: LAPTOP Magazine