Intel relaxes rules on netbook screen specs, say moles
More hi-res mini-laptops on the way?
Netbooks with a 10in screen and an Intel Atom N-series processor look set to move quickly beyond the so-far-standard 1024 x 600 resolution.
Until now, Intel has allegedly told Atom customers that they must not use screens larger than 10in in netbooks, most likely in an attempt to keep a clear boundary between netbook and notebook segments.
That restriction remains in place, Taiwanese manufacturers say by way of Chinese-language site HKEPC, but the 1024 x 600 resolution limit has been lifted.
Hence, of course, why Sony is able to offer is new Vaio W Atom N280-based netbook with a 10in, 1366 x 768 display. Until now, the only netbooks sporting that kind of resolution either used an Intel Z-series chip - the company's line of CPUs for handheld tablets - or eschewed Intel chippery altogether.
With their new-found freedom, expect vendors to offer more netbooks with the higher-resolution displays, the moles say. ®
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COMMENTS
RE: About time
Agreed– the standard 1024x600 is just too piddly to be useful, but I can see this new directive from the Wintel overlords to be another excuse for the manufacturers to pump the price up a bit. The standard netbook screen is relatively cheap, but from personal experience, a 1280x800 10” screen is over £200…
I wonder how much business the Celeron (rebranded as Pentium?) machines have lost out to Atom powered machines… that would be an interesting statistic. If such a thing can actually exist.
About time.
The tiny screen res is the main thing that's been putting me off of buying a netbook. 600 pixels high is just too crowded to use a regular browser and taskbar on.
Hopefully we'll see a decent 1280x800 on a 10" or 12" before too long.
