ITWire

The other point to consider is that Windows XP is included in the price of the IdeaPad S10e. So how does that work, given Lenovo does not sell the machine without an OS? Which costs more, a Lenovo OEM license or the DET volume license?

We also know that the netbooks will carry some pretty damned expensive Adobe software - Flash, Photoshop Elements, Dreamweaver and so on.

The figure of $25.5 million for the software - Adobe and Microsoft - has been reported in Australian IT. We're not sure if that's accurate but we have no reason to disbelieve it.

OK so let's do the sums. About 260,000 notebooks given to students and teachers a year for the next three years times $600 plus $25.5 million times three and we end up with about $545 million.

Of course, we're talking about computers so there's not a chance in hell that next year's netbook from Lenovo is going to be the same as this year's model.

Weve already seen a rise in price of netbooks in the past year as they become more sophisticated.

The top of the range diskless Eee PC costs $899 while you can pick up the original model for less than $200. There's nothing to say that the successor to IdeaPad S10e will be available at the same price as today's model.

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