Notebooks, Netbooks, No Problem: What to Expect from Computex 2009

One year ago Intel introduced its Atom processor at Computex 2008 in Taiwan and LAPTOP published the first review of the MSI Wind which was not only the first netbook powered by said chip but also the first with a 10-inch display.

And well the rest was history. Practically every notebook manufacturer has joined the 10-inch netbook race and we haven’t been able to go a day in the past year without writing about some new development in the category.

So, what will be the next big thing for 2009 in mobile computing? Are the same old netbooks we have been seeing for the last year about to warp? LAPTOP will be answering these questions and more as we hit the show floor one year later for Computex 2009.

While we expect more netbooks to be unveiled, even by some that have taken a wait-and-see approach to the market, we are extremely excited about seeing some of the next netbook platforms in action. But we expect these platforms to cross a broad spectrum. The first ARM powered netbooks will be shown as well as systems running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform. These netbooks won’t be as powerful as Intel’s solution, but surely more power efficient and affordable.

At the other end of the spectrum, Nvidia will finally be showing off its Ion platform, which pairs Intel Atom with GeForc 9400M graphics, in netbooks. The Lenovo S12 is the first notebook to be powered by the platform and will be on display. Intel will be officially showing off its new ULV platform which is destined for notebooks like MSI’s X340, that are ultraportable and ultrathin. We have our fingers crossed that there are product announcements from Taiwanese notebook manufacturers that coincide with the new processors being available.

Beyond processors and platforms, we also look forward to checking out some new software which we expect to be focused on the Cloud. We are expecting to see a few netbooks running Google’s Android and other new Linux environments that are tailored to netbooks.

Keep your browser locked here starting Monday morning for all the latest news and hands-on impressions from the show. Also feel free to follow my Twitter updates as I hit the streets of Taipei.