The market divide separating mobile internet devices (MID), netbooks and traditional laptops is becoming thinner by the month. Many wonder which platform will win out in the long run.
With the economy in such dismal shape, netbooks (extra portable notebook) are most consumers’ first choice due to their lower cost and added battery life compared to traditional laptops and desktops PC’s.
According to AMD’s CEO Dirk Meyer, the distinction between a netbook and notebook will be nonexistent in the near future though.
Just because consumers want to save money doesn’t mean they are satisfied buying junk. Most people would accept a slower CPU and slightly less RAM instead of having a screen the size of a fingernail with poor resolution.
AMD believes that ultra-thin notebooks will eventually surpass Intel’s Atom processor powered netbooks in terms of power and cost.
Aside from the laptop market, what will ultimately become of the mobile internet device (MID)? Even with their pocket dimensions and always-on capabilities, will they ever really be able to replace a notebook/netbook?
So far, consumers have not demonstrated a big enough interest in MIDs to warrant the abandonment of netbook/notebook product development. Most people like to actually see what they are doing when surfing the internet, and a smudgy microscopic screen just won’t suffice sometimes.
At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Intel admitted that the next generation of their successful Atom processor would only include slight increases in speed and graphics. It sounds like they are turning their back on the Atom/Netbook market, which could very well indicate that they might focus their efforts on developing a new line of Atom enabled MIDs.
For Intel to take a real swing at developing a new MID, they would have to incorporate third-party products into their chip design, which they have never done. This is because most MID manufacturers want everything on one chip. MIDs require Bluetooth technology, Wi-Fi, 3g network capability, 2D and 3D graphics, wireless antennas and more. Intel can’t do all that by itself.
For now, the future of MIDs remains unknown, and will likely stay that way for a year or two. The netbook/notebook tug-of-war, however, will be decided on the sales floor in the near future.
