The first notebooks using AMD mobile Duron microprocessors were released today: an NEC range, one of which uses a 700MHz chip.

These products are somewhat delayed. Last July we saw an AMD roadmap which suggested the firm had targeted Q4 for an entire range of products (see AMD confirms Corvette plans).

And AMD said that it is also able to provide mobile Durons in volume at 600MHz from today.

The Japanese notebooks, called the Lavie U line, are aimed at the consumer market but there is no indiciation as to when such machines will be available in the US or Europe.

The products start shipping on 25 January, and AMD has given itself a little bit of leeway by saying other "seventh generation" machines using mobile chips will appear in the first half of this year.

The chip uses the current Duron core, but at a lower voltage than for desktops (that's good) and consumes slightly less power - the 600MHz and 700MHz chips cost $75 and $123 when you buy a thousand of them.

AMD announces its quarterly results later this week. Only a complete dyed-in-the-wool cynic would suggest the two events could be possibly related. ®

Related Stories

AMD denies limiting mobile Duron family
AMD notebooks face uphill struggle