Good news for those hunting for a budget laptop – the incredibly cheap, Linux-powered Pinebook is apparently still on the cards, even though it wasn’t released last month as the makers intended.

The reason the Pinebook has stoked a good deal of excitement is because it’s an ARM-based Linux notebook, with the 11.6-inch version priced at just $89 (around £75, AU$120). There’s also a 14-inch version, which isn’t much more at $99 (around £80, AU$130).

As mentioned, it should have been out in February – but nothing appeared, and nothing was heard from the manufacturer either.

But now Gamehelp.guru has got hold of some images of a prototype Pinebook (11-inch) that's reportedly been sent out to developers, hopefully indicating that a release is still close at hand.

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Spec and span

Some new spec details were also revealed for the notebook, which is built around the Pine A64 Raspberry Pi-style computer board (which runs with a 1.2GHz, 64-bit quad-core ARM processor).

The laptop will also have 2GB of DDR3L system RAM, 16GB of eMMC storage, and a TN display with a resolution of 1366 x 768. The 11-inch model (pictured) will measure 300 x 200 x 23mm, and weigh in at 1.05kg. As you can see from the above image of the internals, there’s a 10,000mAh battery present.

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As to what flavor of Linux might come by default on the machine, that still isn’t clear, but apparently both Ubuntu and Debian are in the running.

None of this is concrete proof that we'll see the Pinebook emerge in the near future, but it’s a positive sign, and those who want a truly cheap laptop can but keep their fingers crossed.

Image Credits: Gamehelp.guru

Via: OMG Ubuntu