Intel to phase out Atom 230 and 330

Intel phased-out the first generation Atom processors last year in December with the launch of pine trail processors. However, the production of the first generation Nettop processors was still kicking, until now. Intel has given a notice to its partners that it will be retiring the Atom 230 and Atom 330 in the Q2 2010. That said, the company will continue to offer Atom D410 and D510 processors to the OEMs and netbook manufactures which are NOT compatible with the DDR3 RAM modules.

Weibu N10A netbook out in Japan – ION powered netbook

Many manufactures are churning out ION-powered netbooks as they allow the users to view HD content without any hiccups. Weibu, a Japanese manufacture, has unveiled Weibu N10A netbook, that comes with an 10.1-inch display (1024×600) and Nvidia’s ION chipset. It retails for an affordable $556, which is a fine price considering the fact it packs an ION chipset.

Another interesting fact to note is that it uses Atom 230 processor that is used in nettops. It features 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD and HDMI out.

It is surprising to see Microsoft now allowing the use of nettop processors in netbooks. However, battery life is a big question mark as nettop processors are not as power-frugal as the ones used in usual netbooks.

OCZ Neutrino Netbook adopts ION-platform, now uses Atom 230 single-core processor

We have already heard about OCZ DIY (do-it-yourself) Neutrino netbook, but now it is possible to have one with ION platform. Instead of N270 Atom processor, it will come with Atom 230 single-core processor.

Specifications:-

• 10.1-inch screen (1024×600)
• 1GB RAM (2GB max)
• 160GB HDD
• 1.3MP Webcam
• HDMI out
• 2x USB 2.0