Next-gen netbooks arriving 11 January?

Reports suggest that major manufacturers will start shipping netbooks based on Intel’s next-generation Atom platform on 11 January.

The report comes through Digitimes, which suggests that Intel will lift the embargo on its Atom N450 platform on 10 January, with a host of manufacturers including Acer, Asus, Lenovo and MSI geared up to ship netbooks the following day.

The Atom N450 offers a great deal to be excited by. The biggest change to the platform takes place on the processor, where the memory controller and GPU will be integrated onto the same die as the processor itself.

This design reduces the Atom platform from three chips to two – the other being the southbridge featuring the I/O hub. The reduction in size should also decrease power draw, though this will probably be offset by an increase in clock speed.

Digitimes further claims that the N470 Atom will appear in March 2010, ushering even faster netbooks onto the market.

We’re expecting a raft of Atom N450-based netbooks at CES 2010, with Asus lining up its Seashell 2, which will run a 1.8GHz Atom N450 and feature Windows 7.

We’re awaiting confirmation from manufacturers on their planned shipping dates.