AMD has been around for a while. Anybody who’s owned a computer in the past few years has probably heard or used AMD products. I have been a big fan of AMD CPUs for years now. In fact, I have stuck by AMD even when it has struggled to make inroads against Intel. Maybe that’s why I want to see AMD netbooks to be released to the market. The problem is AMD is not sold on the whole idea that is netbooks. AMD seems to be more dedicated to ultra portable and ultra thin laptops.

While you can make a point that many netbooks are ultra portable, not a whole lot of them are ultra thin. But AMD is thinking beyond that. AMD is focusing on the overall experience with these tiny notebooks. Netbooks are great gadgets, but I’d be the first to admit there are a lot of things you can’t do with them. AMD is targeting the consumer segment that is interested in getting the full computing experience on their notebooks.

An AMD official put it the best:

Netbooks are still not ready for prime time if you are planning to get a breathtaking visual experience on them. But they do get the job done. And there is no question that these two markets can merge at some point. Companies have already started coming up with more powerful netbooks that cost a bit more but provide more entertainment features to consumers. So the question at this point is whether AMD can afford to stay out of the netbook business. AMD may not really have the choice. It’s not as powerful and resourceful as Intel, meaning that it will have to pick its spot. Right now, the ultra thin laptop market gives AMD the best margins. But AMD hasn’t completely ruled out entering the netbook market. So we may see AMD netbooks in the future. Just not the near future.