Intel has released to shipping its first dual-core Atom
processor – a chip the company is targeting for low-cost desktops or
"nettops" as Intel calls them.
Priced at $43 when the chip is bought in quantities of 1,000, the Intel Atom
Processor 330 is part of a move by Intel to tap into a new market for low-cost
PCs in both emerging economies such as India and China, and also in more mature
markets such as the United States and Western Europe where users may be looking
for a second or third home computer.
While it’s difficult to determine how much of an impact these low-cost
netbooks and nettops will have on the worldwide PC market, IDC
revised its worldwide PC shipment numbers Sept. 10 to account for the
increasingly popularity of low-cost notebooks in both developing economies as
well as mature markets.