The rumors were true: Nokia was creating a netbook and today they officially unveiled their first entry into one of the fastest growing segments in the industry. The netbook market is highly completive with almost everyone jumping into the game, but unlike standard notebooks, virtually all netbooks have about the same specs, due to limitations set by Microsoft and Intel. The typical netbook specs list looks like this:

*Processor: Nokia’s decision to  use the Intel Atom Z530 processor instead of the Atom N processors is clearly a decision to favor long battery life instead of extra speed. The Intel Atom N270 and N280 are known to be more responsive than the Z-series. On the other hand the typical N-based netbooks are able to squeeze 6-8 hours out of a 6 cell battery, while the Z-equipped netbook can achieve an impressive battery life of about 10-12 hours out of the same battery. Reviews of the Atom Z520 equipped (clocked at 1.3GHz)  Asus Eee 1101HA clearly indicate that the it sometimes can feel sluggish when compared to the N270/N280. Luckily Nokia chose the faster Z530, that is actually clocked higher at 1.6Ghz, which might improve the situation. Overclocking the Z520 to from 1.3 to 1.6Ghz doesn’t seem to improve the situation a lot.

*Battery Life: Among netbooks, the Asus Eee line takes the crown when it comes to battery life with there Atom Z520 1101HA at 12 hours. Test have shown that it easily achieves 11+ hours with Wi-Fi on! Considering  this, Nokia’s claim of achieving 12 hours isn’t farfetched and very believable although lowering the screen brightness to 50% will be necessary. Because the Nokia is equipped with a faster processor and extra’s like GPS and 3G, we can expect the battery to be more in the 10-10.5 hours of battery which is still very impressive.

*Screen: WSVGA 1024 x 600 LCDs are the norm for 10” netbooks, but we don’t have any idea yet what type of screen resolution the Booklet will use. Considering that the Booklet has a 10” screen, chances are it will sport WSVGA 1024 x 600 LCD. Judging by the introduction video, it again looks like WSVGA will be used. I wish Nokia would have given the Booklet a 11.6” (1366 x 768-pixel) as this would make surfing a lot better due to less scrolling. The move to stay at 10 inch might have something to do with the fact that Microsoft and Intel have jointly reached a consensus to limit the screen-size for netbook PCs certified with Windows 7 to 10.2-inches, down from a previous 12.1-inch limit. This move will likely mean an end for  PC vendor’s ability to offer Atom Zxx-based netbook of 11.6 like the Asus Eee 1101HA. So basically Nokia most probably was stopped from offering an 11.6” 1366×768 equipped with an Atom Z due to limitations by Intel/Microsoft. Nokia should consider going to 11.6 in the future as this is quickly becoming the norm. Such a move will push Nokia into offering a netbook with a Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage processor instead of the Atom, which is faster but offers dramatically lower battery life.

One last observation is that in the specs they mention “10.1 inch glass HD ready display”, which could mean that the 1366×768 could be used.

*Graphics/HDMI: This is where things become interesting. The typical Atom based Z520 is equipped with the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 which struggles with 720p video and 1080 video is virtually unplayable. Any form of 3D gaming is only reserved for the most basic and old titles. So why did Nokia include a HDMI connector? For HD presentations? If this is the case, this would make the HDMI less of a stand out feature. But what if they are using Nvidia’s ION platform? This would certainly explain the strange inclusion of a HDMI port. ION-equipped can easily playback 720 and 1080 video and with the built-in 9400M graphics, it would make the Booklet a decent gaming machine.

*Price: Netbook are supposed to be cheap. Despite having some premium features, the Booklet has to be offered below $600, preferably between 525 and 550 to be a success. Considering some of the premium features Nokia could make the very wrong decision of offering this above $600 which could be a very bad move and could dramatically affect sales.

*Design: The Booklet looks a lot like the Dell Mini, a Dell mini dressed up in metals to be exact. It looks good, but I feel the Asus Eee Seashell models like the 1005HA and 1101HA look better. I really like the glass display, but considering that netbooks spend a good amount of time outside, I can’t but wonder how this will be a problem for screen visibility. The aluminum chassis is a step up from the plastic used on most netbooks. Should bring some good competition to HP netbooks that also use such high-end materials.

*OS: It’s clear that the Booklet will support Windows, but we can bet it’s going to be either Windows Vista with a free upgrade to Window 7 or Windows 7 as standard.  The point is you will eventually will end up with Windows 7, which is a very good thing. Windows 7 has been proven to run incredibly well on netbooks, a perfect choice if you ask me.

*Extras: There are some netbooks that offer 3G, many times this is optional. It’s amazing to think that EVERY Booklet will have 3G as standard, which should help push 3G a standard among netbooks. Nokia device are second to none among reception quality, which should be another plus. The A-GPS is another standout feature that is reserved for very few Netbooks. Hot-swappable SIM card is something I haven’t seen yet in any netbook.

Opinion: Nokia seems to have made some great choices when creating the Booklet and it should be a solid entry into the crowded netbook market. The unit certainly has a lot of stand-out features that aren’t found on the typical netbook: 3G, A-GPS, HDMI, Hot-swappable SIM and aluminum chassis. I just wished Nokia had offered the Booklet at 11.6 inches with the 1366×768 resolution, but a 10” with 1366×768 res is the next best thing, although the icons and text might be small for some. Nokia made a good decision is choosing the Z-Atom procesoor to ahieve great battery life, but considering the extra’s we can expect battery life more around the 10.5 hour mark. What about the graphics? If it is offered with the expected Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500, you can expect choppy 720p video and 1080 video that’s virtually unplayable. Any form of 3D gaming is only reserved for the most basic and old titles. So why did Nokia include a HDMI connector? For HD presentations? If this is the case, this would make the HDMI less of a stand out feature. If they are using Nvidia’s ION platform, that would certainly explain the strange inclusion of a HDMI port. ION-equipped netbooks can easily playback 720 and 1080 video and with the built-in 9400M graphics, it would make the Booklet a decent gaming machine, but battery will suffer even more. In the end it all comes down to the price, if priced too high it simply won’t sell.