Is dual core Atom chips in the pipeline?

Intel might be planning on a dual core Atom ship

The Atom processor is arguably the most widely used one in netbooks. Intel has been focusing a great deal on making the Atom CPUs smaller and more energy efficient, Pinetrail is the example here. But we all agree at some point of time that the power is not quite enough, even though we know that is how the netbooks are supposed to be – or are they?

As the competition increases, performance is the area competitors like Nvidia is focusing on. Then there are the CULV processors. To retain the competitive edge in the market, Intel might be just planning the right thing – a dual core Atom processor. PC Inpact reports an Atom N500 in making, which could be similar to the desktop version of dual core N510. It is not clear how the company will keep the power consumption low, but I think people will be ready to sacrifice a bit of mobility for the two cores. Don’t expect miracle though, an Atom is an Atom after all, and the N500 should be a little faster than the existing N470 and good in multi-tasking, but that should be about it.

The cost and availability are not known yet.