Atom netbook chip propels Intel to top of market

From InfoWorld: The success of Intel's Atom microprocessor, used mainly in netbooks, helped the chip maker gain market share in every quarter of 2008 and could carry the company this year as well.

Intel's share of the microprocessor market grew every quarter last year, market researcher iSuppli said Wednesday.

The chip maker ended the fourth quarter of 2008 with an 81.8 percent share of global microprocessor revenue, up from 78.4 percent the same time a year earlier.

"Intel's low-priced Atom has become increasingly popular as the netbook market has gained steam," said Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst at iSuppli, in a statement. He added that Intel's strength in microprocessors overall and its strong marketing were the main factors behind its strong revenue performance last year.

Intel's biggest rival, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), lost market share last year.

AMD's share of microprocessor revenue shrank to 10.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, down from 14.1 percent a year earlier.

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