Intel design points to Air-sized budget PCs

Users will not have to choose between thickness and price when having to choose an ultraportable notebook, Intel has claimed during a presentation at its own Developer Forum. A prototype on display during Mobility Group manager Dadi Perlmutter's keynote is as thin as systems like the MacBook Air or ThinkPad X300 but which uses the same Atom processors as an upcoming wave of budget notebooks, nicknamed "netbooks," such as the ASUS Eee PC 900.

The chip's lower power draw (between 0.65 and 2.4 watts) and low cost (as little as $45) let system builders create these extremely thin designs while meeting very low price targets, Intel says. The company doesn't offer an exact price for a system that would mimic the prototype, though current Eee PCs cost as little as $300 with older Celeron processors, 2GB of flash storage, 7-inch screens, and Linux. Systems with Windows and additional storage are likely to see higher prices.

No companies have yet announced computers that resemble the Intel unit, which is believed to be a concept rather than a definitive product. Impending models from ASUS and other companies are not known to take explicit advantage of Atom and leave the door open to competitors.

Apple has not announced any plans of its own, but is widely rumored to be using the Atom (once known as Silverthorne) for multiple products this year.