Samsung's 11.6-inch Ion-powered N510 netbook

Samsung has announced the imminent release of the N510 netbook. The N510 is powered by the Nvidia Ion LE platform, a scaled-down version of the Nvidia Ion platform designed for Windows XP and DirectX 9.0 that retains the benefits of a discrete GeForce 9400M - including 1080p video playback.

While the N510 looks to be the first Ion-powered netbook to market, there's plenty more to like about it. The 11.6" display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 1366 x 768 resolution is capable of displaying 720p content without downscaling. The inclusion of three USB 2.0 ports, one of which will charge connected devices when the laptop is switched off, makes it much less likely you'll need to carry a USB hub with you.

There's also a full-size keyboard, HDMI output, and a claimed 7 hour battery life - although we're guessing that figure will drop once you're using the 1.66GHz Atom N280 and GeForce 9400M to their fullest.

Road warriors will be delighted to hear that factory options of 802.11n, HSPA/WiMAX, and WiBRO connectivity can be ordered to compliment the standard 802.11b/g capability.

Samsung are yet to announce a price for the N510, or a solid release date - "early September" will have to do.