If we maintain a little faith in Old Media, it seems like that new super-stylish Intel laptop we got wind of at last month's Intel Developer Forum in Beijing is the real deal after all. That's because the stalwarts at Business Week have been blessed with an actual demonstration of the Metro Notebook.
Although the 1kg machine is still pre-production, it appears clear that Intel intends to market it sometime soon - possibly late this year. When that does happen it's a sure bet that it won't come cheap. The only slightly disappointing news in the latest update is that the wraparound leather cases seem to charge the PC itself, not other gadgets.
Design-led device
Aside from the high-end technology we mentioned last time and a few additions like noise-cancelling microphones and a remote hard-drive eraser for added data security, the selling point of the Metro is sure to be its design.
At just 18mm thin it's comparable to the Motorola RAZR mobile phone, which is impressive in anyone's book. And don't think that's the last time you'll hear that size comparison, by the way.
Intel enlisted specialists at Ziba Design in Oregon to make the Metro a desirable item as well as an imposing piece of technology. So, if the association with the RAZR remains true, the chipmaker's plans to alter the face of the laptop market may well bear fruit.
