Via gets another Lenovo design win for Nano

Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group will soon release a small home-entertainment PC based on a Nano processor from Via Technologies -- the company's second computer model based on the chip.

A Nano version of Lenovo's IdeaCentre desktop computer, called Narue 2, was on display at Via's booth at the Computex exhibition in Taipei last week. Equipped with a 1.3GHz Nano U2250 processor, the unidentified Nano-based IdeaCentre model is the size of a small paperback and runs Windows 7. It's capable of processing 1080p high-definition video using Via's VX900 chipset and has an HDMI port that can connect to a television.

The IdeaCentre is expected to go on sale during the third quarter, a Via executive said, requesting anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about Lenovo's product release plans. Pricing was not available.

The IdeaCentre home-entertainment computer is the second Lenovo model to use Via's Nano processor. The first system was a laptop, the IdeaPad S12, which uses the same Nano U2250 processor found in the new IdeaCentre system.

Via trails a distant third in the x86 processor market, behind Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. While the Taiwanese company has won business from some top-tier PC vendors, including Samsung and Dell, in addition to Lenovo, it has struggled to compete in most Western markets. As a result, most of Via's attention is focused on emerging markets like China and South America, where the company sees more room for growth.