NVidia Ion (Atom + 9400) -- thoughts?

http://www.nvidia.com/object/io_1229608554532.html

NVidia has announced a new platform for netbooks and other small, low-cost computers. It's intended for Atom CPUs and includes the integrated 9400 GPU that has also shown up recently in the new versions of the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

This looks like a winner to me -- you could have a low-cost netbook that could actually run Second Life respectably! Such a thing wouldn't be my primary system -- the display is a bit small and it won't match the performance of my main desktop system -- but it sounds promising as a way to keep in touch with SL on the go. I expect that such a system would eat batteries while running SL, but so do existing laptops.

So, assuming that this actually makes its way into production, would you buy one? (NVidia expects it would add $50 or less to the cost of a netbook.) Is this just what you've been waiting for or just another pointless piece of technology?

I read about this yesterday on Cnet. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10127699-64.html

It certainly makes the netbook scene a bit more interesting. As for how well one might run SL, I guess time will tell. It's likely it would run it pretty decently at very low settings.

be interesting to see if it gets put into a 14-15" laptop to make a low cost one.

I think the 8-9" netbooks are ok for checking e-mail or a quick web browse, but I could not imagine spending hours on one, either the eye's would go squirrly or your fingers would cramp typing on the tiny keypad.

Another interesting jump in power for this level of computer will be the introduction of the multi core atom.

I have an 8" Asus Eee Pc which I use when I'm out the office and at home when I can't be bothered to go upstairs to the PC. It's actually pretty usuable, you get used to the keyboard, and it runs SL well enough to be able to do most basic tasks as long as you're prepared to be patient for textures to appear (this is the 900 running a 900 Mhz processor, I don't know how much better the newer ones with a 1.6 Atom cope).

It seems like it's simply trading a deficient graphics controller for a deficient CPU. I don't know a lot about the Atom, but it appears to fall well short of the performance needed to run SL respectably.

I believe I'd rather see the 9400 paired with a Pentium Dual Core in a small notebook with a 12"-ish screen. Maybe something the size of a Macbook Air, or the old 12" Powerbook G4.