AMD has announced the first plans for its Yukon platform: moderately priced light weight notebook computers with a new AMD Neo CPU. The idea is to create a machine that falls somewhere between a chap netbook and a more traditional subnotebook (which typically carries a premium price tag). Think MacBook Air-sized computers with processors that are a bit more powerful than an Intel Atom, but without offering bleeding edge quad core performance.
I’m about to board a plane so I’ll provide more details later today. In the meantime, you can find more information here:
- AMD: Creating a new notebook category
- AMD’s Netbook counterstrike
- Q&A: Yukon to outperform Atom, not destined for netbooks
More soon…
AMD believes there is a significant market opportunity for affordable, ultrathin notebooks that exist between $499 mininotebooks and $1499 ultraportables. AMD believes that a fair percentage of people purchasing mininotebooks are dissatisfied with the performance and useability of their netbook. We expect these people will be very attracted to notebooks enabled by the AMD platform for ultrathin notebooks.
AMD recognizes that there are consumers willing to sacrifice performance, functionality and usability for the smallest, most inexpensive notebook – such as those powered by the Intel Atom processor. But this is not where AMD plans to focus its attention. Instead, AMD is interested in pursuing mainstream markets, which it believe provide superior margin opportunities.
AMD is making a strategic mistake here in my opinion. By the time they deliver the Yukon platform dual-core/faster Atoms will be available to compete with it on even terms in CPU power. But Intel will also own the low end netbooks totally, giving users an obvious upgrade path. AMD will end up a small player in this price range, probably smaller than VIA in the netbook range.
Also, I am just guessing here, but the new AMD category sounds artificial. Netbooks are perceived as inexpensive, low power second computers (few people own only a netbook). The new AMDs are what? A second computer? Then they are expensive netbooks. Your only machine? Then they are small low powered laptops. I think people will decide thay are one or the other, instead of a new category as AMD thinks.
hmm, has it become a meme that everything is about experiences now?
i see laptopmag talking about this supposedly having a full pc experience…
can someone please stop this crazyness?