CVS to Sell $99 Netbook … Disappoint Many Consumers

Starting in September CVS shoppers will be able to pick up a Sylvania netbook for just $99, a $159 value according to the leaked ad posted on Engadget. At first glance this may seem like the ultimate buy for a low need computer user but even without the detailed specs we can safely say that it won’t be the netbook most consumers are looking for.

Though the specs haven’t been announced, at this price it will likely come with a 7″ screen and old technology. The ad shows a Windows CE logo, which means that the netbook won’t be running an operating system that your average consumer will be familiar with such as Windows XP or Windows 7 Starter which come on most current and even older netbooks. Because this netbook uses an older operating system it will not be able to install every program a newer system would support, including those many shoppers would expect.

It is possible that this netbook is the Sylvania 7-inch Netbook shown on the SylvaniaNetbooks.com website, including the touchpad design which is visible on the CVS box. If this is the same netbook is has better specs than the $119 kMart netbook from last Black Friday but is still a subpar netbook unless you are specifically looking for a netbook running Windows CE.

Specs are possibly as shown below, but running Windows CE.

Average consumers will be better served by saving up for a used netbook tunning Windows XP and an Intel Atom processor or looking for some of the back to school $300 notebooks that offer significantly more value.

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