Hasta La Gadget!

Hercules’ eCAFÉ netbooks are pretty cool for a dead product category

Hercules has released a pair of ARM Cortex A8-based netbooks which run a Linux OS and last up to 13 hours on a single charge. But the coolest part is that they look like an oversized Nintendo DS.

There are two models, the eCAFÉ Slim HD and the eCAFÉ EX HD. The difference is in the battery. While the Slim is just 0.8 inches thick, the EX is a 1.1 inch slab. Both have 512MB RAM, 8GB flash storage (and an SD slot for adding more), a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 display which it is claimed can somehow offer proper 720p video playback (maybe the extra 120 lines of pixels pop out from somewhere?) and a Linux-based OS.

But it’s the style that sets these apart from other netbooks. Both eCAFÉs are wonderfully squared-off, without that awful fat wedge-shape of most netbooks. And when the screen opens, it leaves a little of its bezel behind, making two bars, one either side of the chiclet keyboard. Like I said, it look like a flatter, bigger Nintendo DS.

Thankfully, both machines are cheap, at €200 ($283) for the Slim and €250 ($354) for the EX. I had thought that the netbook market was completely dead thanks to the tablet, but at these prices somebody, somewhere might buy one instead of an iPad.

Hercules Sets a New Standard with its Latest Generation of eCAFÉ Netbooks [Hercules. Thanks, Jennifer!]

See Also:

• Chrome OS Netbooks For Under $400, Says Google
• Acer to Phase Out Netbooks in Favor of Tablets
• It's Too Soon to Count Out Netbooks