According to Fudzilla.com, leaked plans from Intel say the chip giant is to let partners sell Atom-based netbooks with more than 1GB of RAM. The move is largely seen as an attempt to cling onto the low-end computing space, but it may prove too little, too late.
Fine print on the agreement is said to allow a maximum of 2GB RAM to be installed on netbooks fitted with the next generation Intel Atom N470, a faster 1.83-GHz processor with increased 667-MHz Front Side Bus (FSB). This will come into play from March 2010, with Intel instructing machines with 10.2-in displays and four cell batteries to be priced up to $349 and shipped with Windows XP Home Edition or Windows 7 Starter.
The problem is this change doesn’t go far enough. Fudzilla claims only the N470 will qualify for the upgrade, with its sibling N450 CPU still held back at 1GB. Given that ultra portable laptops based on Intel’s own more powerful CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) processor are now flooding the market without any RAM restrictions, larger 11.6-in screens and similarly cheap pricing, the ship may have already sailed.
Furthermore, if Intel is seemingly cannibalizing itself at the $349-400 price point, Asus’ mission to release an ARM-based $185 smartbook in 2010 may see Atom squeezed out of the entry level sector too. Is Atom, and consequently netbooks, not long for this world? It’s beginning to look that way.
Gordon
