NVIDIA CEO: AMD Neo better than Intel Atom, but not as good as Ion

LaptopMag had an interview with NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang about netbooks, the NVIDIA Ion Platform, Tegra, and the competition. You can check it out over here. In the interview Huang unveils the target price for Ion-based systems is around $399, he dissed Intel's Atom platform and states AMD's Neo platform is better than what Intel has to offer, but not as good as an Atom paired with NVIDIA's Ion platform:

How do you think Atom stacks up to AMD’s new Neo processor and companion graphics chips?

Atom by itself with Intel integrated graphics would get crushed by the Neo platform. That’s because AMD is one of the world’s most advanced graphics companies. They bought ATI, who has wonderful technology. When you couple that with an AMD processor, it would destroy the Atom platform.

How about when you pair Atom with Ion?

That’s totally different. Atom plus Ion will give Neo a good run for its money, and from my perspective, it’s a superior platform. The Atom processor is really terrific—it’s small and low powered. Atom plus Ion is just a fabulous machine: It’s small, low powered, and full featured in every way.

Huang also said the VIA Nano processor is a generation beyond Intel's Atom, but explains VIA's weakness is the software outside of the processor. The current NVIDIA Ion platform doesn't support the Nano chip but Huang unveils a future Ion platform will.

He also talked about the NVIDIA Tegra platform, Huang envisions Tegra will enable PC makers to create $199 Windows Mobile based 10" notebooks, with a full keyboard and the ability to surf the web for two days on a single battery charge.