Lenovo unveils IdeaPad S100 and S205 netbooks

Everyone on the planet that wants a netbook probably already has one, but that hasn't stopped Lenovo unashamedly churning out a new range of IdeaPad S Series devices in time for the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show.

The S Series range consists of the 10.1-inch IdeaPad S100 and the IdeaPad S205, which packs a slightly larger 11.6-inch display. The S100 is a slim, stylish-looking affair, that replaces Lenovo's outgoing S10 models. It'll feature either a dual-core Atom N570 processor or a single-core Atom N455 and N475 CPUs, supporting up to 2GB of DDR3 RAM and packing a generous 320GB hard drive.

The Ideapad S205, meanwhile, has a slightly more serious-looking chassis, but looks like it could provide the most enjoyment of the two. Its 11-inch display runs at a native resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, so you can fit more onto the screen at once. It also uses an AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics chip with 512MB of onboard memory (paired with an AMD dual-core E350 chip) so it's legitimately capable of running 3D games.

The S205 will support up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 750GB of disk storage and has optional 3G connectivity alongside the usual 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and HDMI.

Both netbooks sport additional features designed to help them stand out from the netbook hoards. The S100 has a Quick Start 'instant on' feature that loads a basic Linux GUI if you can't be bothered waiting for Windows 7 Home Basic to boot. It also has Lenovo's OneKey Rescue System, which backs up all your data at the push of a button, plus DirectShare, which synchronises files on the netbook with other laptops without you needing to connect to the Interwebs.

The S205 packs all the above features and lets you log into Windows 7 Home Premium using face recognition. The S100 will go on sale in March in the US for $239.99. The S205 will hit the streets at around the same time for an as-yet-unconfirmed price. For more info on both netbooks, as well as Lenovo's other 2011 offerings, keep it locked to CNET UK.