Lenovo has launched its first 12-inch netbook which comes with a full-sized keyboard and offers an increased processor and graphics option which the company claims will play Full HD movies without slowdowns.

Using Nvidia’s Ion graphics platform, the company says that users will be able to watch 1080p video with smooth and quick playback, or watch it on an external monitor via its HDMI connection. Select models of the IdeaPad S12 will also ship pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium edition.

Lenovo says that the IdeaPad S12 measures less than an inch thick, weighs 1.5kgs, features an ExpressCard slot, has up to 320 GB of storage and 3 GB of memory, offers Lenovo’s OneKey Rescue System that recovers user data or system settings, and lasts up to six hours. In addition, the unit also comes with Lenovo’s VeriFace facial recognition technology, a Lenovo Quick Start environment that allows e-mail and Internet browser without waiting for the full operating system to boot, and a 4-in-1 multicard reader.

Lenovo ANZ’s Product and Marketing Director, Chris Kelly said, “We’ve heard from consumers loud and clear about the need for affordable and extremely portable computing devices, and we’ve responded by introducing our third generation netbook with a completely new form factor, making mini-computing easier and redefining value in this market. We are pioneering new territory in this developing arena by being the first to give customers high quality video capabilities and even more choices to optimise their netbook performance.”

The IdeaPad S12 netbook will be available in December through www.lenovo.com.au and Lenovo business partners with pricing starting at $799.