Intel Atom - Atom Devices

We are already beginning to see devices that utilize this new CPU. The most popular UMPC, the ASUS EEE, is getting the Atom makeover. It is pretty much the same old EEE, but instead of a Celeron M, it's the Atom CPU.

This is a very cool device from Sharp-Willcom. It will use the Atom, 1GB of RAM, a 40GB hard disk, a two mega pixel camera, WiFi, and Bluetooth. It will run Vista Home Premium SP1 and comes with Office. It will also be able to make cell phone calls. 

It's not in the same market as the EEE. The EEE is designed to be a nice portable second computer, similar to the Macbook Air. This device from Sharp-Willcom is more of a gadget for the rich, coming in at $1200.

Conclusion

Intel's new CPU is going to make a great slide into the UMPC market, which is on fire right now. It offers the heat output of the XScale, and a performance close to a ULV CPU. The huge advantage to this CPU is that it has the x86 instruction set.  It will be able to run OS like Windows on mobile devices. This should be a great benefit in a few years when they start making their way into mobile devices like cell phones and PDAs. It should prove to be a great asset in a couple years when Microsoft could use the same core OS for Windows and Windows Mobile.

The Atom has some great aspects such as the heat output and size. The only part that is really lacking is performance. It still trails behind the Celeron M, and is leaps and bounds behind the Core Duo CPUs. For UMPCs that is a real big issue.  Hopefully the dual core and future versions will bring a much-needed performance boost. It is a big move for Intel, but a necessary one with the emergence of the UMPCs. It is a great step forward for computing, and looks like it will be an interesting CPU in a few generations.