Rumor: Intel to allow Atom-powered netbooks with 2GB of RAM

Virtually every netbook released over the last year and a half has had the same specs: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive. But the times, they are a-changing. With the launch of Windows 7, we’ve started seeing machines with 250GB hard drives. And now it looks like Intel could be ready to shake things up a bit more.

Fudzilla is reporting that Intel will adjust its memory restriction for netbooks when the company launches the Intel Atom N470 Pine Trail chip in March, 2010. At that point, PC makers will be able to use 1GB to 2GB of RAM.

Of course, most netbooks today support up to 2GB of RAM. But you need to upgrade them manually since they tend to ship with 1GB or less. But if Fudzilla’s info is accurate, we could start seeing low cost Intel Atom powered netbooks selling for $299 to $349 with 2GB of RAM, 160GB to 250GB hard drives, and Windows XP Home or Windows 7 Starter next year.

I reached out to Intel to see if I could get confirmation, and was told that Intel doesn’t comment on announced products. So let’s file this in the rumor bin for now.

Posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009, 11:21 am by Brad Linder

BoloMKXXVIII

Makes sense. All versions of 7 want at least 2 GB of RAM. Sure it will run with less, but not as well.
http://liliputing.com Brad Linder

True, but an 11.6 inch machine with NVIDIA ION graphics doesn't exactly fall
within the standard definition of a netbook.
David Vargas

Go to HP's website and choose the HP mini 311 with windows 7. It'll allow you to upgrade up to a 320gb Drive with 4gb of ram.
Anonymous

I don't see how this anything to do with Intel, which has supported 2GB of RAM since the first N270-powered netbook hit the shelves. It has been Microsoft that has been hobbling netbooks with 1GB of RAM for questionably legal reasons about which we can only speculate.

http://apcmag.com/microsoft_hobbles_xp_mininote…

I read some talk of Microsoft keeping the 1GB cap for Windows 7 Starter Edition, but I haven't found any solid information either way.
Chris Meyers

Your article is complete nonsense, and typical of bloggers who post based on no real knowledge except how they “feel”. Intel imposes no RAM limit on netbooks. Microsoft imposed a 1gb ram limit ON WINDOWS XP NETBOOKS ONLY. If there was a 1gb limit on Intel Atom based netbooks, how do you explain the new Asus 1008HA Premium. 10.1″ screen, Intel Atom N280, 2gb RAM, 320gb Harddrive? DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE YOU POST.
Anonymous

There's no need to be a jerk. Yeah, he got this one wrong, but Brad does a pretty god job overall with this blog (you ARE reading it after all, aren't you?). Might be nice to avoid Fudzilla in the future, though. It isn't really even a reliable source for rumors, much less analysis.
tomleemullins

Personally, there should be a restriction on how much ram one can or could add to ones computer. The limit should be in the technology and not in what one company says you can or can not do.
http://home.comcast.net/~tomleem/ BigGoofyGuy

Personally, there should be a restriction on how much ram one can or could add to ones computer. The limit should be in the technology and not in what one company says you can or can not do.
Anonymous

There's no need to be a jerk. Yeah, he got this one wrong, but Brad does a pretty god job overall with this blog (you ARE reading it after all, aren't you?). Might be nice to avoid Fudzilla in the future, though. It isn't really even a reliable source for rumors, much less analysis.

Rumor: Intel to allow Atom-powered netbooks with 2GB of RAM

Recent Posts

Latest Products

Popular Discussions

Featured Videos

Latest news from Mobiputing