If you’re planning on getting a new laptop, think about waiting just a little bit longer. With Windows 7 coming out and new chips from Intel for both netbooks and high-performance laptops, it’s going to be a whole new world come the holidays. But you say, “Uh, neither Microsoft nor Intel make laptops,” and you’re right. They don’t — but they are two of the major drivers for change; as their products improve and change their capabilities, it forces laptop designers to accommodate them instead of just switching out a piece of silicon.
For example, the upcoming Pine Trail version of the Atom chip will be smaller, more efficient, and sport onboard graphics. That means there’s room for more RAM or for reconfiguring the PCBs to allow for a sleeker body design. And new Windows 7 features like the multi-touch APIs will make touchscreens more viable features.
So if you’re thinking of upgrading, just hold off. You’ll be able to get a monster holiday deal on a cool new laptop instead of paying top dollar for the last generation.
[CNET]