By extending Windows 7 drivers early, Nvidia is trying to entice PC makers to adopt the Ion platform over rivals like Intel, said Jon Peddie, president of market research firm Jon Peddie Research. The company's early jump in extending drivers is also showing its seriousness in entering the netbook space.

The Ion platform pairs Nvidia's GeForce 9400M GPU with Intel's Atom CPU. Nvidia claims Ion gives better graphics to netbooks while drawing less power. That benefits netbook buyers who get more powerful graphics at a lower price, Peddie said.

However, Intel officials argue the battery life and small-form factor of netbooks are not designed to run high-definition movies, which are better suited for mainstream laptops. Intel recently started shipping the Atom N280 processor and GN40 chipset that can decode 720p video.

Using Intel's netbook processor, the Ion platform can make a puny netbook into an "honest-to-god notebook," Peddie said.