Digital Home Thoughts: Netbooks Continue Creeping Into Notebook Country

"Netbook specs have been held in check by Microsoft and Intel's dizzying array of rules and restrictions for low-cost machines, but now that Windows 7 is out and Intel's getting ready to release the next generation of Atom chips it sounds like things are about to get slightly better."

Netbooks became an incredible explosion in the PC industry, with the wee machines flying off the shelves. Of course, customers soon realized that netbooks, while cheaper, were essentially castrated notebooks. Over time, this has improved, but only in small increments. When Intel starts pushing out its Pine Trail chips, that should change some more with some of the limits imposed on the netbook class being lifted. Of course, I would expect prices to go up a bit as well, which begs the question, is there really a line between netbooks and notebooks anymore?