Netbooks get faster but less popular, at least in the U.S.

HP Netbooks.

(Credit:
Hewlett-Packard)

Netbooks will get a boost from faster Intel silicon. The question is, does anybody still care?

Intel's new Cedar Trail silicon for Netbooks will endow new models with up to 18 percent better overall performance, including a two-fold increase in graphics speed while maintaining long battery life, according to Intel.

Windows 7-based Netbooks typically sport 10-inch screens, are under three pounds, boast up to ten hours of battery life, and priced below $400.

Netbooks are not designed for high-end productivity like photo editing or demanding games, as the Atom processor in the Windows environment is built for power efficiency, not speed.

Netbooks get faster with new Intel Atom processors but the compact laptops are not very important anymore for markets like the U.S.
(Credit:
Intel)

"We're trying to show that netbooks have pockets of interest and momentum," Mark Miller, a marketing executive for netbook processors at Intel, told CNET.

Though there is a decline in netbook sales in the U.S., Western Europe, and Japan, in emerging countries the netbook is gaining traction, Miller said. "There is a long-term sustainable business driven primarily by these emerging markets."

U.S. demand for netbooks has fallen thanks to Apple's iP... [Read more]

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