Just how big is the low-cost PC market going to get? Companies like Asustek, Gigabyte, MSI and others all are hedging on it encountering some explosive growth. Asustek in particular has set some lofty goals for the no-longer-novelty devices, claiming that before the end of this year we'll see 10 million low cost laptops in the world.
Encompassing both desktops and laptops, Asustek expects that the Atom will represent a big shift in the ability for people to manufacture and ultimately sell the units. They think that 7 of those 10 million will be systems based upon the Atom, with the Celeron M and C7-M making up the rest of the units. No mention is made of any AMD processors, with Asustek claiming that 2008 sales will be driven primarily by who can actually get the Atom. It seems they expect production limitations, rather than consumer demand, to be the deciding factor in how many are sold.