Toshiba NB500 and NB520 netbooks pack dual-core Atom [Video]

By Chris Davies/

Toshiba has outed a pair of new netbooks, the NB500 and the NB520, each toting Intel's latest dual-core Atom N550 1.5GHz processor. Each machine gets 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard-drive – shock-protected on the NB520 – and WiFi, but the NB520 also throws in Harman/Kardon Speakers which, thanks to a "sleep audio" function, can be used with an external PMP source even when the netbook is turned off.Video demos after the cut

There's also Bluetooth, three USB 2.0 ports, VGA output, an SD card reader, ethernet and optional 3G. NetbookNews grabbed hands-on time with both the NB500 and the NB520, and came away impressed: they're reporting flex-free keyboards, decent spacing between the trackpad and the space-bar to avoid accidental taps, and a textured finish that feels good enough to nudge each Toshiba into the "premium netbook" category.

The Toshiba NB500 is expected to be priced at the equivalent of $450 when it arrives in Taipei on December 4, with broader availability in Q1 2011 after an official CES 2011 debut. As for the Toshiba NB520, that has the same dates but a roughly $610 tag, though there's a fair chance both models will be cheaper when they hit the US.

Toshiba NB500 demo:

Toshiba NB520 demo:

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