It looks like the netbook phenomenon isn't going to die anytime soon and it just got a shot in the arm from Intel in the form of their new N550 dual-core Atom processor. This tempest in a teapot runs at 1.5Ghz, sports a dual-core hyperthreaded processor, supports DDR3 memory, and comes with its own graphics processor.
Just like Asus was the first out the gate with the netbook form factor, and one could argue they practically invented it, they are going to be one of the first sporting this new processor from Intel.
The Asus Eee PC 1015PEM has a 10 inch display that supports a maximum resolution of 1024 x 600. The netbook will come with 1GB of memory, and will be running Windows 7 Starter Edition. The new processor from Intel is due to ship in Q3 of 2010, and I imagine we'll see the Asus netbook hot on its heels.
I personally don't have much experience with netbooks but the ones I have played with that I've found the most usable are the Asus Eee PCs. One major issue with netbooks has been how well they handle graphics intensive activities like watching HD video. Hopefully this new processor will resolve those problems and the 1015PEM will be a great device for watching movies on the go.
There have been many people saying that with the success of the iPad and the many Android and other tablets on the horizon that the netbook form factor is dead. Whether this is true remains to be seen, the sales of this new Eee PC may be an indication of whether people would rather have a netbook or a tablet computer. Or, maybe in another week we'll be writing about the new Android tablet that will be using the Intel N550 processor.
