Image credit: Intel (via VentureBeat)

Intel unveiled a few details about the company’s next generation Atom processor, codenamed “Pineview.” Somewhat confusingly, Pineview chips will use a new technology Intel is calling “Pine Trail,” which basically combines the graphics, memory controller and CPU onto a single chip. Today’s Atom chips are just CPUs. The graphics and memory controller functions are relegated to the surrounding chipset. 

The Intel Atom Pineview processor, which is due out during the fourth quarter of 2009, won’t be a complete system on a chip. Some features like the I/O hub will still take place on the chipset. But Pineview processors should be cheaper to produce, smaller than current generation Atom processors, and faster. 

What I’m still waiting to see is how the Pine Trail/Pineview platform handles Flash video at resolutions higher than 1024 x 600 pixels. While I’ve been pretty happy with the performance available in today’s Intel Atom “Diamondville” processors on most netbooks, they’re really not up to the task of playing web video on high resolution displays like those found on the Asus Eee Top all-in-one PC or the HP Mini 2140 with a high resolution display.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook currently ships with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of solid state memory. If you want a higher capacity SSD, you’re going to have to go out and buy one for yourself. Fortunately, that’s pretty easy to do.

Jkkmobile picked up a 32GB SSD module from My Digital Discount and posted a short video showing just how easy it is to remove Dell’s SSD and replace it with the higher capacity module. All you need to do is take out the battery, remove two screws, and pop off the access panel on the back of the laptop to get at the SSD. Remove two more screws and you’re ready to swap SSDs.

Keep in mind, your operating system is installed on that Dell SSD. So you’re going to want to make sure you have a Dell system restore CD and a USB CD-ROM drive to reload the OS. Jkkmobile says the whole process took about an  hour.

My Digital Discount is currently selling 32GB SSDs for the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 for about $99. Their performance is virtually identical to the Dell SSD. If you’ve got a bit more cash burning a hole in your pocket, the store plans to make a 64GB module available soon. Or you could purchase a higher performance SSD which may speed up your system performance.

You can check out jkkmobile’s video demonstrating the upgrade process after the break.

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If you’re the sort of person who cares more about what a PC looks like on the inside than the outside, you typically have to wait for some eager hacker to buy one and rip it apart (or if you’re lucky, the FCC will publish some photos before the computer is even released). But while the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 isn’t expected to ship for a few more weeks, Dell has published a few photos of the device’s insides in its online service manual.

It looks like it should be pretty easy to upgrade the RAM, swap out the Intel SSD for a faster module, and switch out the SIM card if you get a model with a 3G modem. The manual also includes handy instructions for flashing the system BIOS, replacing the system coin-cell battery, and even replacing a bad power button board.

[via jkkmobile]