Intel's stance on 3D gaming and multimedia consumption on netbooks is a bit hard to comprehend. On one hand, they think of NVIDIA's Ion platform as overkill for applications such as 1080p video playback and light 3D gaming. This is according to Anil Nanduri, Intel's netbook marketing director who said in an interview with Laptop Magazine: "We believe (Ion) adds unnecessary additional cost and the other trade-offs make it less desirable."
However, writing on one of Intel's own blogs, corporate communications manager Bill Calder says, "[Netbooks] aren't for 3D gaming and multi-tasking. For that Intel offers a wide range of full-featured laptops including some exciting new Intel Core systems based on our latest 32nm process technology coming soon." Then he links to a report on CNet where it says that Intel's upcoming Clarkdale and Arrandale family of processors will be on the market very soon.
So, they think the combination of a good enough processor in the form of the Atom coupled with a great mobile graphics processor in NVIDIA's Ion platform is too much, and yet go on to suggest a move to full-featured laptops which are far more overkill and overpriced for the tasks that Ion is able to achieve, for less money. And they say, "the market is going to decide." Well, who do you think is deciding now?
Source: [LaptopMag, Liliputing, Technology@Intel]
