The end result would likely be even less expensive netbooks based on technologies originally designed for phones, such as Google’s Android, and processors from ARM, which are commonly used in mobile phones. Intel has said it plans to target the smartphone market with its Atom processor, which so far has been widely used in netbooks.
ARM offers its processors as intellectual property that is licensed and then manufactured by another company, based on the needs of the end device.
While Gartner has forecast the steepest decline in PC unit sales in history for 2009 at just under 12 percent, the analyst firm has said that netbooks would be a bright spot and their sales would continue to rise.