If you have been following the netbook market, you have probably noticed that we have not had large screen netbooks on the market so far. While there are a few 11.6-12.1 inch screen netbooks on the market, they do not take advantage of ATOM N processors. There is a reason for that. Intel has been trying to keep netbooks and notebooks from mixing with each other. The lines are blurry already, so limiting netbooks to a certain screen-size has somewhat worked as a differentiation strategy. The trouble is, not all netbook fans are into those small screen units. That could be one of the reasons behind Intel’s plan to lift panel size restrictions for dual core Atom netbooks. According to DigiTimes, that is not all:

Netbooks adopting the Atom N550 will feature 1GB of DDR3 memory, and a 32GB sold state drive (SSD) or 250GB hard drive.

Netbook sales have leveled off in the past few months. These devices are under huge pressure from tablets and other alternative devices. Let’s not forget that Smartbooks are on their way to this side of the world. ARM-based laptops do not have some of those restrictions, putting netbooks at a disadvantage. By lifting panel size restriction, Intel and its partners can focus more on providing better support for HD content on netbooks.

Let’s make no mistake about it. Netbook manufacturers will still have to withstand the assault from Apple iPad and Android tablets. What will be their answer? That remains to be seen.