Analysts also picked up on the increased availability of Atom.

"With respect to the Atom processor, any supply shortages seen earlier in the year are now resolved, with plenty of available supply," wrote Craig Berger, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets, an investment bank, in a report released last month.

The easing of the Atom shortage in October roughly meets Intel's stated goal of shipping Atom chips in high volume by September, and allays vendor fears that too few chips would be available for the year-end shopping season.

"We've always worked to meet customer demand and we've always been pleased with the strong reaction that Atom has been getting in the market," said Nick Jacobs, an Intel spokesman, noting the company has four plants producing 45-nanometer chips, including the Atom.