AMD hit the sweetspot with its 45nm architecture in the mid-range segment, but the outer budget market it is still lacking a competitor for Intel and its Atom processor. Despite the meager performance and outdated platform, the Atom processor has taken the budget market by storm and is found in most available netbooks and nettops. AMD is planning to sink the Intel's Atom processor, but it will have to wait until 2010.
That's at least what AMD's VP Dirk Meyer has revealed when he discussed the future of the processor manufacturer. AMD is working hard on a new slim platform where power efficiency is top priority. According to Meyer the platform will offer both more features and cost less than Atom.
At the same time he says that the platform will not be used by so called netbooks, but instead implies that the term netbook will disappear as the differences between netbooks and notebooks are erased.
AMD's answer to the Atom processor will appear as test samples in 2010 and how far Intel will have come with its new power efficient platforms by then is uncertain, but we wouldn't say not to some more competition on this market.
AMD to release Atom competition next year
Noctua
