Intel has announced that partners have started selling netbooks with a new dual-core Atom processor. Atom N550 is the first Intel processor with dual cores on the netbook market and even though it doubles the processing power it will offer battery power on the same level as other models.
Intel says that the new Atom N550 processor, operating at 1.5 GHz, will be optimized for better performance in games and Adobe Flash-based applications. Areas that have been a real Achilles heal for netbooks.
Beside dual cores for better multi-threading performance and number crunching Atom N550 also supports DDR3 RAM, which Intel’s partners are expected to use in netbooks. Intel claims that ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, Fujitsu, Samsung, LG, MSI, Toshiba and several others will start selling new models starting today.
With the dual-core Intel Atom processor N550, consumers can enjoy Internet access on the go with a more responsive experience in the same compact form factor, DDR3 memory support and similar great battery life as the single-core Intel Atom processor N450.
Good timing by Intel before the school start, but also to undermine AMD’s launch of Ontario that is expected to compete with Intel Atom in netbooks in the near future.
Intel has already shipped 70 million Atom circuits and has no plans of slowing down.
