Intel pushes nettops in Asia-Pacific

Giant US semiconductor chip maker Intel believes the Asia-Pacific market holds the largest opportunities for its cost-centric personal computer called the nettop.

The company says it has many programmes to support emerging countries across the region in the deployment of nettops in an effort to bridge the digital divide.

Intel's general manager for nettop and netbook computing, Noury Al-Khaledy, said nettops were expected to be vital devices to help Asia-Pacific countries to bridge the social gap in access to information and communications technology because it not only cost less, but also had flexible form factors that could be adopted and applied for several usages.

Nettop is a small form factor, low-cost and low-wattage desktop computer powered by an Atom processor and designed for basic tasks such as surfing the Internet, accessing Web-based applications, document processing and audio and video playback.

Currently, nettops account for 7 per cent of total desktop computer sales in the Asia-Pacific region. About 66 per cent of these are sold in mature markets while the rest go to emerging markets.

Launching initiatives in each of the countries of the region, Intel plans to promote the use of its technology for emerging-market growth be offering access to the Internet with purpose-built, affordable solutions. For example, the company is promoting its affordable Intel Atom-based nettops with Internet access using Intel WiMax technology in India.

WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a telecommunications technology that provides wireless transmission of data using a variety of transmission modes.

"Intel is committed to helping foster growth by reaching new users and new markets with the Atom platform, by working with global and local PC vendors as well as partnering with local channels in each country to bring nettops to the market and build the industry ecosystem," Al-Khaledy said.

Meanwhile, Intel's product marketing manager Eric Li said the consumer market, education and small- and medium-sized enterprises were expected to be the key drivers for nettop's growth in the region, especially in Southeast Asian countries including Thailand and Vietnam.

Al-Khaledy said the new Atom platform, currently code-named the "Pine Trail-D platform", was expected to hit the market by the first quarter of next year. Its arrival will challenge computing markets as it will offer more flexible form factors to computing devices, while consuming 50-per-cent less power.

"The Atom processor has enhanced the low-cost PC in all-in-one and mini case form factors. In the near future, the computing devices will be customisable. Importantly, the new platform supports a wide range of operating systems, including Moblin, Windows XP and Windows 7," Al-Khaledy said.

Moblin is an open-source project focused on building a Linux-based platform optimised for the next generation of mobile devices, including netttops and netbooks, Mobile Internet Devices and in-vehicle infotainment systems.

Al-Khaledy said that by 2011 the nettop market would demand 60 million units around the world.