Cheaper Netbooks with Longer Battery Life by Freescale i.MX515 CPU?

Netbook are cheap small size laptops that their prices stand in the range between $300 and $600. But consumers still like to see cheaper netbooks in the market. I think it rather comes true because of the direct relationship between demand and production and every month many new netbooks enter to the market and gradually make the market overwhelmed. However, Freescale Semiconductor Inc. thinks that it can speed up this process with its new low-powered CPU that is showcasing at CES 2009 this week (Jan. 8-11).

Freescale’s i.MX515 CPU is a chip based on ARM that has been made for netbooks and the computing devices with basic functionality like surfing web and checking emails. Freescale believes that its i.MX515 processor can cut the prices of cheapest netbooks (that naturally run on Linux OS) back to $200.

Freescale claims that not only will its CPU decrease the whole price of netbooks, but it will also increase the battery life. It means that i.MX515 CPU uses less power than Atom CPU and creates less hit, also.

Reuters reported:

The company said the chip would allow a netbook with an 8.9-inch display to receive eight hours of battery life. Freescale's reference design features the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system.

Freescale expects to start shipping this CPU from the middle of 2009 and it will be used in the 8.9-in and 10-inch netbooks.

The current netbooks using Intel Atom processor often deliver a battery life up to 3.5 hours with standard battery. These are the good advantages that i.MX515 CPU is going to bring for netbook users. Well, the important question is that “will i.MX515 CPU as powerful as Atom processor?”

Already company has emphasized the netbooks powered by i.MX515 CPU would only support Linux operating system. So, my guess is that this upcoming processor must not deliver better performance than Atom CPU or maximum it will perform as powerful as Atom. If the later possible happens, it will be another giant step in the netbook market and the market of laptops.

This matter of mere using Linux as the OS can also bring big limitation for the Freeescale-based netbooks. So, will this limitation allow this new processor can spread among netbooks easily? Or maybe the other good sides of i.MX515 CPU meaning longer battery life and cheaper price effect this big limitation and help to Freescale to become good rival for Intel?

VIA is also going to launch its processors in 2009 too. So, we must have a competitive market among hardware companies this year!