He commented that everyone, including Intel, underestimated the growth of notebook sales for the next five years. The real growth, identified by industry analysts, will come in the form of low-cost portable and static computers - netbooks and nettops, respectively.
Nettops, as defined by Intel, will be outfitted with the Intel Atom processor and further furnished with regular el-cheapo components - perfect for emerging markets or for use as a second or third PC, where power-computing isn't the primary criterion. Basic machines that will provide a reasonable Internet-centric experience, if you will.
Helping to keep costs down, to around $200 as a start, Intel will help its partners reduce the bill of materials (BOM) associated with manufacturing the desktop motherboard the Atom (Diamondville) processor sits upon. There will be no CPU socket, no active heatsink and optimised voltage regulators, resulting in a 20-25 per cent saving when compared to a regular motherboard.
Here we see the Intel reference 945 board with the Intel Atom (Diamondville) processor embedded directly on to the motherboard, at the top of the picture. Cheaper supporting boards will be available soon.
We'll see dual-core Atom processors in due course, but Intel is hoping to tap into the market where, for first-world countries, computers almost become commodity items.
Expect to see near-£100 PCs in around three months' time.
