Bigger netbooks may be on the horizon

There's rumor that Intel may be lifting their restriction on the netbook size later in the year, allowing larger screens on netbooks that use the dual-core N550.

Given that netbook sales have started to plateau, Intel is probably looking for a way to keep netbooks interesting by offering more form factors. It's also the case that Intel has been pitching the Pine Trail + Broadcom CrystalHD combo as a way to do 1080p video on a netbook—and 1080p certainly makes more sense for larger screens than it does on a sub-10" panel.

It could also be possible that Intel is foreseeing the coming wave of ARM-based "smartbooks" and Intel doesn't want the Atom competing with the ARM-based offerings. With the restriction lifted, OEMs can get to work on making larger Atom-based netbooks to hit the shelves soon.

This also raises the question of what makes a netbook a netbook? If the form factor is starting to resemble a traditional notebook, what's the difference?

Source Digitimes