Chicago (IL) – According to a report from the Boy Genius Report blog, the long awaited Hewlett-Packard 115NR netbook is expected to be launched by Verizon Wireless on May 17. The netbook will debut simultaneously with the Novatel Wireless created MiFi, which allows mobile broadband users to create a personal Wi-Fi hot spot capable of supporting five devices.
The speculated price is $199 after a mail-in rebate and a two-year service contract. At present, pricing details for the new wireless service have not been released. However, Verizon currently a 50 MB/month data plan for $40 and a $60 plan that includes 5 GB per month.
If the blog is correct on the price estimates, then netbook owners will spend anywhere from $1160 to $1640, before taxes and fees, over the two year contract period, depending upon their plan. The device which weighs a mere 2.38 pounds reportedly includes an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and a 2-in-1 memory card reader, as well as a 10.1” LED BrightView display.
Verizon declined to comment on the rumors, however the company did confirm earlier in the year the intent to launch a netbook on its network. The Verizon launch would follow AT&T, which just began offering netbook models from Dell, LG, Acer, and Lenovo in certain markets.
