Atom processor of Intel is used in netbook and real difference between a netbook and a notebook is the use of an Intel Atom processor. This is smaller, cheaper and a lot less powerful than a Celeron, Pentium or Core chip, but it also runs cooler and provides much better battery life. There are some PCs with Atom chips that the suppliers say are not netbooks — examples include the Asus N10 and Sony's pocketable Vaio P-Series — but generally the distinction holds.
Credit goes to Asus for starting the netbook market in 2007 with the Eee PC 700, which had a 7in screen and was initially targeted at the schools market. RM introduced it to the UK as the MiniBook, running Linux. The idea was that it would be a consumer appliance, like a CD player or TV set: no support would be needed, beyond a reset to factory condition.Another difference is that netbooks leave out the CD/DVD drive, encouraging users to download applications or use web-based alternatives. However, there have been plenty of notebook PCs without CD/DVD drives, going back more than a decade. Examples include Toshiba's Libretto and Portégé ranges, and IBM's ThinkPad X series. But still, as the hardware specifications improve, netbooks are getting bigger and more expensive — more like notebook PCs, in fact.
Credit goes to Asus for starting the netbook market in 2007 with the Eee PC 700, which had a 7in screen and was initially targeted at the schools market. RM introduced it to the UK as the MiniBook, running Linux. The idea was that it would be a consumer appliance, like a CD player or TV set: no support would be needed, beyond a reset to factory condition.Another difference is that netbooks leave out the CD/DVD drive, encouraging users to download applications or use web-based alternatives. However, there have been plenty of notebook PCs without CD/DVD drives, going back more than a decade. Examples include Toshiba's Libretto and Portégé ranges, and IBM's ThinkPad X series. But still, as the hardware specifications improve, netbooks are getting bigger and more expensive — more like notebook PCs, in fact.
Netbooks are still 32-bit systems, whereas notebooks are moving to 64-bit version of Windows. Netbooks will typically have 2GB of memory whereas 64-bit notebooks will have 4GB, 8GB, 16GB or more. The question is, how competitive will Intel make the Atom? Will it promote cheap 64-bit multi-core designs? The Atom's very power-efficient Bonnell architecture was developed to help get Intel into new markets for what it calls MIDs (mobile internet devices), and when the Sodaville "system on a chip" version arrives, consumer electronics products. It's intended to slow the advance of ARM-based chips such as the Cortex A8 and A9, which are also aimed at the MIDs/netbook market.
But the way things are going, Atom chips look like displacing sales of more expensive Core 2 processors. This could hit Intel's revenue and, perhaps, its profits. When faced with a similar challenge, Microsoft opted to sell cheap copies of XP rather than expensive copies of Vista. It hurt, but it helped stop Linux from taking over the netbook market. Will Intel take a similar line?
But the way things are going, Atom chips look like displacing sales of more expensive Core 2 processors. This could hit Intel's revenue and, perhaps, its profits. When faced with a similar challenge, Microsoft opted to sell cheap copies of XP rather than expensive copies of Vista. It hurt, but it helped stop Linux from taking over the netbook market. Will Intel take a similar line?
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