Tiny CPUs, Tiny PCs: a guide to netbook chips

Posted at: Thursday 5th June 2008 by Orestis Bastounis

It's not just Intel which fancies its chances as supplying CPUs for the Eee PC and its ilk. Orestis Bastounis takes a look at the contenders for the tiny PC crown

Computer companies have being trying for years to tempt customers into buying small laptops, but until recently, their attempts were as successful as pre-Wright brothers aeroplanes - a few good ideas lost amid a lot of bad form factors and poorly executed designs. In 2007 however, the concept took off, thanks to the Asus Eee PC. With its 7 inch screen, Linux software and sub £250 price tag, it was an instant hit. Asus reportedly was selling them faster than they could produce them in the run up to Christmas, with some retailers marking up what remaining stock they had.

The Eee PC's success meant other computer companies rushed their own machines to market, and now there are lots of options to chose from. Our preferred term for them (and the one Intel uses) is ‘netbooks’, and they define them as ‘a small, low-cost, mobile computing device designed for consuming content, rather than creating new content’.

Intel's description gets to the heart of the Eee PC's success: it's cheap, portable and always connected. While Intel might have recognised the key abilities of the Eee PC, the fact they're so different from the standard priorities of a desktop PC means that manufacturers aren't automatically turning to Intel for their CPUs. With no need for backwards compatability or huge amounts of power, there's a wide range of options for manufacturers wanting to put together a cheap and cheerful netbook.

Scroll down to look at the leading contenders.