NetbookShow

If you were impressed with Augen’s budget GenTouch78 7-inch Android tablet and GenBook78  7-inch smartbook then surely you’ll be impressed with their latest offering, the GenBook 108 which is a 10-inch sized smartbook which we heard about in July. It’s now up and selling at… you guessed it, Kmart, for an easy $190.

The GenBook 108 comes with a 10.2-inch 1024 x 600 display, Android 2.1, 800MHz ARM11 processor, 256MB DDR2 RAM, 2GB internal storage, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, SD card reader and a 2,100mAh battery. If their claim of the Android Market on board is true then perhaps they are pulling the same thing they did with the GenTouch78?

Unless it does indeed have the Marketplace I would avoid any smartbook  with Android 2.1. It’s just not ready, unless you’re doing some very basic web browsing or emailing then give it a go.

It was one of the best-looking products at this year’s CES, but you won’t be able to buy one anytime soon. Today we learned from Lenovo sources that the Skylight is getting pushed back to July from the original April time frame. However, the company’s first smartbook will start selling in China this May and show up in other markets in June. Here’s what the company told us: “With any new product that we introduce, we owe it to our customers to get it right and we would rather take the little extra time that sometimes takes to finalize a product.”

We’d argue that three months is more than a little extra time, but we can certainly understand Lenovo and AT&T wanting to make sure the product is fully baked. After all, the Skylight will likely be the first smartbook on the market when it hits (unless the Mobinova Beam beats it to the punch). If you’re wondering if the U1 Hybrid will also be pushed back, fret not. Lenovo says that product remains on track for a June launch.

What I’m wondering, though, is whether AT&T  is still committed to the smartbook category at a time tablets like the iPad are taking off. The carrier also announced the OpenPeak tablet at CTIA but didn’t say a word about smartbooks. Do people want a clamshell instant-on device, or would they just prefer a slate? We’ll have to see what happens come July.