Thinking about a Netbook - Consider CULV processor instead of Atom

[Semper Fidelis]

A good article here: http://www.wepc.com/discussions/view/9724/CULV__A_Better_Atom_Alternative_

Anandtech also recommended the same during their Holiday Roundup: AnandTech: Mobile Buyers' Guide, December 2009

On page 3 of the guide:

Atom has a reputation of "fast enough" performance with great battery life and a low cost. It provides all of that, sure, but the catch is you can get something much better from Intel if you look around. The Celeron SU2300 is a dual-core CPU based on the Core 2 architecture, with a 10W TDP. However, TDP isn't a real indication of power requirements, and in testing it appears most of the 10W CULV CPUs are able to match Atom CPUs (within a few hundred milliwatts) in low power states.

CULV laptops do cost more than Atom laptops, but if you're looking at an Atom-based laptop costing $400 or more, you'd be crazy not to take a closer look at the CULV options. Even the Celeron SU2300 (1.2GHz, 1MB shared cache) is more than a match for the fastest single-core Atom CPUs - in raw performance, it's about twice as fast. Dual-core Atom CPUs should match the slower CULV processors, but pricing is going to be a wash as well.

The Dell Inspiron 11z is quite nice in this category. I think many of us who would be attracted to the form factor of a Netbook might also want to run Logos or other apps. An Atom processor might be slightly cheaper than a CULV but the performance benefit (along with larger HDD and more RAM options) makes the CULV much more attractive.