14 DAY TRIAL // As a recent article on Digitimes informs us, the netbook market in China will soon provide several new systems that will be built on ARM processors, instead of on the traditional Intel Atom that is featured in most netbooks on the market. The new netbook systems are said to boast 7-inch and 10-inch displays, and will reportedly sell for less than 1,000RMB (US$146) and 1,200RMB (US$175), respectively.
The ARM-based netbooks are expected to hit the market in January or February next year, and will likely compete with similar products on the market, which are based either on an Intel or a VIA processor. Both the 7-inch and 10-inch models are to boast a Windows CE operating system and to feature all the functions, including e-mailing and Internet surfing. Unfortunately, said netbooks will be an unlikely source of entertainment, as they won't be capable of running 3D games or other applications designed for Windows XP or Vista environments.
While the ARM processors have the advantage of price, they lack the performance capabilities of the netbook processors released by Intel and VIA Technologies. The ARM9 Core, used for the aforementioned 7-inch and 10-inch systems, is capable of delivering a core speed of 300MHz, while a later version of the CPU, the ARM11, can deliver 500MHz. However, there's a potential market for these ARM-based netbooks, as they can provide the basics PC functionalities at a much more affordable price tag and even with better battery specifications, which will allow users to enjoy an extended computing experience.
ARM-based netbooks could be the alternative for emerging markets; however, for established markets, higher performance systems are likely to become more popular, especially since NVIDIA has recently released its new ION platform, enabling computer makers to build systems that combine an NVIDIA chip with an Atom processor for better performance in low-end systems such as netbooks.