We’re starting to see laptops ship with NVIDIA ION graphics. But while big name PC makers like HP and Toshiba have jumped on the ION bandwagon, they’re only using the chipset in laptops with 11.6 inch and larger displays. You won’t find a 10 inch or smaller netbook in the US with an Intel Atom processor and NVIDIA graphics anytime soon. It’s note entirely clear why that is, but at least one colleague has put forth the theory that PC vendors want to differentiate their higher end products.

Anyway, apparently Weibu didn’t get the memo. A few months ago the company introduced the Weibu N10A, a 10.1 inch mini-laptop utilizing NVIDIA’s ION chipset. Now the laptop is available for purchase in Japan for 49,800 Yen, or about $556 US. While that might sound a bit pricey, netbook tend to cost more in Japan. Netbooked points out that the Weibu N10A is going for just about $20 more than the Asus Eee PC 1005HA in Japan.

The N10A has a single core Intel Atom 230 processor, which is the type typically found in low power desktop, or nettop, computers, not netbooks. The computer also has 2Gb of RAM, a 150GB hard drive, HDMI output, and a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display.

While dual core Intel Atom 330 processors have been making the rounds in low power nettops and other desktop computers for a while, you don’t see them very often in netbooks. And while a glance at a Japanese placard for the Shenzhen Weibu N10A made it look like this might be one of the first netbooks to sport both a dual core Atom 330 CPU and NVIDIA ION graphics, it looks like there was a misprint.

CNET is reporting that the computer has a dual core processor, but CNET’s source for the story, Akiba Hotline says there was a mistake, and this computer has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor.

While it would have been nice to see a dual core netbook, the Weibu N10A does have NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, which should help the little guy outperform most netbooks with integrated graphics when it comes to gaming and playing HD video. The N10A also has 1GB of RAM, a 150GB hard drive, 802.11b/g WiFi and an HDMI output.

As you could probably guess by the netbook’s brand name, I don’t expect to see this model released in the US anytime soon. But it’s also possible that a Western PC distributor could pick up the N10A and rebrand it for sale in the US or Europe.

The netbook will reportedly have a 10.1 inch display,  sell for 49,800 yen, or about $525.