Intel Moves to Larrabee into 2010 || What a move

According to a report published by c’t magazine, Intel is now aiming to launch Larrabee in a variety of flavors in 2010 and has scrapped the previous late 2009 plan. Intel’s Joseph Schultz made this comment during the opening of a visual computing research center in Saarbruecken, Germany. Spokesman Nick Knupffer confirmed the narrowed-down date, but declined to provide further comments.
Schultz also told c’t that it will be a “big challenge” to compete with Nvidia’s and AMD’s products and especially highlighted the power-efficiency achieved by AMD’s Radeon graphics cards.

Intel is very careful providing any information about its x86-based Larrabee. What we know, however, is that the device will be based on second-generation Pentium processor technology with the P54C core. The first Pentium core (P5, 800 nm, 60 and 66 MHz) was in development since 1989 and was introduced in 1993. The P54C was launched in 1994 with speeds up to 120 MHz, while the succeeding 350 nm P54CS reached 200 MHz. The 55C core (280 nm up to 233 MHz) followed in 1995 and was replaced with the Pentium II in 1997.

Larrabee is expected to come in multiple flavors with at least 8 cores at the low-end have at least 32 cores on the high-end. At a clock speed of 2 GHz, the 32-core version could be topping a theoretical maximum performance of 2 TFlops.

Nokia and Intel Collaborate On Mobile Devices

Intel announced a technology partnership with Nokia that could potentially give the chip maker the breakthrough it has been looking for into the mobile market.

The companies said last night they would work together on a new class of mobile computing devices, but would not say when they would come to market or give details on the kind of wireless products they hoped to develop together.

Analysts saw the pact as strategically important for Intel in the long term because it gains the world's top cellphone maker as a potential client.

But given the lack of details, analysts said it could take one or two years for products to come to market, and it remained to be seen if they would find favour with consumers.

"Intel at least has its foot in the door. It's an important and strategic customer," said Gartner analyst Jon Erensen, who sees the partnership as a way for Intel to get into the market for advanced phones known as smartphones.

However, he added, "You're probably talking about something like 2011 before you get down to the power consumption and integration (levels) you'd need for that kind of device."

Analysts said the deal gives Intel a chance to take on leading cellphone chip makers Qualcomm Inc and Texas Instruments, a big Nokia supplier.

It could also mean stiffer competition for ARM Holdings , which supplies core cellphone processors to both Texas Instruments and Qualcomm, and whose customers rely in part on software from Wind River Systems.

Intel said earlier this month that it would buy Wind River, whose software speeds up and connects devices made by Samsung Electronics, Apple, Hewlett-Packard Co and Motorola.

Intel, whose microprocessors are found in eight out of 10 personal computers, already works with LG Electronics on mobile devices. The agreement with Finland's Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker, is a bigger step.

Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini has said that the handheld, embedded and netbook markets would be as important for the company as the PC market in the near future.

Under the agreement, Intel will buy intellectual property from Nokia related to high-speed wireless technology. They also plan to collaborate on open-source mobile Linux software projects, which some analysts say will compete with Google's Android software in the netbook and mobile Internet device (MID) market.

Intel and Nokia said they aimed to define "a new mobile platform beyond today's smartphones, notebooks and netbooks" for hardware, software and mobile Internet services. They stressed the pact was about their technology collaboration and not about specific products.

Nokia Pact Won't Fix Intel's Atom Chip

INTEL (TICKER: INTC) and Nokia (NOK) announced a strategic alliance to develop Intel architecture-based mobile chips and open-source software. The goal appears to be creating open and standards-based technologies to explore new ideas and products in mobile computing and communications.

Collaborative efforts between the two companies will be centered around these three initiatives: definition of mobile chipset based on Intel architecture; development of open-source software infrastructure such as Nokia's Maemo and Intel's Moblin; and Intel licensing of Nokia's HSPA/3G modem internet protocol ...

Dell Grows Intel 'Nehalem EP' Iron

INTEL LEADS the CPU market, full stop. More than ever, perhaps. So, why change its perfectly good branding then? After all, Core 2 - and Core 3, and so on - does sound better than Pentium, Hexium or Sexium, and definitely far better than Itanium, all names sounding like some evil Big Pharma drugs.

Aside from a lot of extra marketing and sales work, resulting in marketeers keeping their jobs in these tight times, there doesn't seem to be any real reason to rehash the branding just because of the Nehalem arrival.

The new chips, rather than being called say Core 3, got the brand new Core i7 moniker, in a way reminding us of the old P7 codename. Now, the dual-channel mainstream Nehalems will be called Core i5, and the low-end integrated-graphics parts might bear the burden of the Core i3 brand. And, just like the current i7 with the brand new three-digit product numbers instead of the old four-digit ones, you'll have an interesting time comparing chip models.

So, when you do your holiday system shopping later this year, you could, for instance, choose between the old Core i7 965, the new Core i7 960 or the brand new Core i5 XXX (I didn't say '860'). While all three are internally basically the same CPUs and run at a 3.2GHz clock, the differences will be there. The first one is the old 2008-launch part with unlocked multiplier but C0 stepping. The second one is to be the new part late this year, with locked multiplier but newer, more efficent D or even E stepping. And, finally, the last part will have two memory channels and the LGA1156 versus LGA1366 socket, but faster Turbo mode and of course cheaper P55-based mainboards. Love the confusion?

Many publications commented on the new branding approach, with mixed reactions. There is no clear connection to the old Core 2 branding, and even the product numbering was completely rehashed. Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9770 and Core i7 Extreme 965 cover the same market segment and run at the same default clock and, in fact, aren't that far apart in performance. But there's no correlation at all in the naming. The old Pentium, Pentium 2, Pentium 3 approach was, in this respect, more consistent.

Why not look at something like that, since Intel already went with this BMW-style numbering? The "7" series is the high end, the "5" series is the mainstream, and the "3" series is doing the basic work. An obligatory "X" could be added at the end of any Extreme part in the "7" and "5" series, to avoid having to use different basic numbers for otherwise same-clocked extreme and normal, that is, locked parts. A similar "L" could be added for the low power parts, and an "M" for the mobile parts. Plus, of course, a "G" for the graphics-enriched ones.

After all, at the Xeon front, that's the case already. The "W" parts are top bin workstation CPUs, the "X" parts are for high end servers, the "E" parts are the mainstream offerings, and the "L" parts are the low power workhorses for dense and green computing.

Then, there should be enough numbering in reserve to accommodate the 32nm 'Westmere' parts without changing the i7-i5-i3 sequence. Right now this scheme seems to be a bit tight for the i7 series as we'd only have the 980, 985, 990 and 995 numbers available before hitting the four digits, and that has to take care of the next 20 months at least. Aside from that, the possible i8-i6-i4 sequence could then be left for the Sandy Bridge and Haswell generations.

Talking about numbers, in Chinese, eight is a very lucky number, but four isn't. The last murdered Alpha CPU was codenamed EV8, but was supposed to be really called, umm, the 21464. So, maybe, let's skip any future 'i4' at the low end, eh?

Intel Chairman Barrett to Step Down

Intel Chairman Craig Barrett will step down from his post in May, ending a 35-year stint at the world's No. 1 chipmaker, the company announced Friday.

Barrett, who joined Intel in 1974, also served as the chief executive of the company from 1998 through 2005.

"Intel became the world's largest and most successful semiconductor company in 1992 and has maintained that position ever since," said Barrett. "I'm extremely proud to have helped achieve that accomplishment."

Barrett said he was confident that Intel has the right management in place to continue its leadership in the chip making industry.

Jane Shaw, a board member since 1993, will replace Barrett as non-executive chairman in May.

Earlier this week, Intel CEO Paul Otellini announced that last quarter's profit tumbled 90% to $234 million, and reportedly told employees that he couldn't rule out the possibility that Intel might actually lose money in the current quarter. It would be the first time that's happened in more than 20 years.

The company also announced Wednesday that it will be cutting production at two U.S. silicon wafer facilities and closing three facilities in Asia, affecting between 5,000 and 6,000 workers.

Shares of Intel (INTC, Fortune 500) rose 3% in mid-afternoon trading, but the company's stock has lost more than 40% since August.

Intel Wins Nokia As Mobile-chip Customer

Intel Corp., the world's largest chipmaker, will sell processors to Nokia Oyj for mobile devices, marking the biggest breakthrough in Intel's expansion into the phone market.

The two will develop a new mobile device and chips, Intel and Nokia said today in a statement. Intel will also get mobile- phone radio technology from Nokia and the companies will develop versions of the Linux operating system for mobile devices.

Intel, whose microprocessors run more than 80 percent of the world's personal computers, has struggled for about a decade to get a foothold in the market for mobile-phone chips. The company has a unit that sells a scaled-down version of its personal-computer processor. The chip, called Atom, is designed for mobile devices that access the Web and handle basic computing functions.

"Even if they get just a piece of Nokia's business, it's a big deal," said Will Strauss, a Cave Creek, Arizona-based analyst for research firm Forward Concepts. "Nokia is still the biggest cell-phone maker in the world."

In 2006, Intel Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini scrapped his predecessor's $5 billion investment in chips for mobile devices, after the company was late to the market and failed to win enough customers.

Restarted Effort

Now Otellini is again pushing to get Intel's chips into phones, a bid to lessen the company's reliance on computers, which account for more than 90 percent of sales. A total of 1.21 billion mobile phones were sold globally last year, according to ABI Research in Oyster Bay, New York.

Intel rose 3 cents to $15.71 at 11:18 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The stock had gained 7 percent this year before today. Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, fell 10 cents to 10.19 euros in Helsinki trading.

Intel Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith said in February that the company needed to land one of the top five mobile-phone makers if it wanted to build a significant business.

Intel is challenging Texas Instruments Inc., the largest maker of chips used to run programs in mobile phones. San Diego- based Qualcomm Inc., meanwhile, supplies the majority of communications chips for phones. Both companies have said that Intel would struggle to break their dominance because its products use too much power.

Intel announced in February it had landed LG Electronics Inc., the world's third-largest phone maker, as a customer. LG will use an Intel processor to make a mobile Internet device, a cross between a mobile phone and a computer.

Intel's attempts to create a mobile business have foundered in the past, even when they've had announcements of interest from customers, said Jim McGregor, an analyst at Scottsdale, Arizona-based research firm In-Stat.

"They've been dreaming of getting a significant win at Nokia," he said. "It's a big announcement, they're a key guy. The only question now is whether they will actually come out with a product."

Switching To Good Reduced Complexity : Intel

What’s in a name? If you’re Intel, there’s plenty of brand equity in names like Atom, Centrino, Core and Pentium. But there’s also a fair share of confusion, too, among consumers and IT buyers.

And so, Intel is planning on revamping its portfolio of brand names, an effort that revolves around a good-better-best format. In a statement, the company said:

…we are focusing our strategy around a primary ‘hero’ client brand which is Intel Core. Today the Intel Core brand has a mind boggling array of derivatives (such as Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad, etc). Over time those will go away in its place will be a simplified family of Core processors spanning multiple levels: Intel Core i3 processor, Intel Core i5 processor, and Intel Core i7 processors. Core i3 and Core i5 are new modifiers and join the previously announced Intel Core i7 to round out the family structure. It is important to note that these are not brands but modifiers to the Intel Core brand that signal different features and benefits. For example, upcoming processors such as Lynnfield (desktop) will carry the Intel Core brand, but will be available as either Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 depending upon the feature set and capability. Clarksfield (mobile) will have the Intel Core i7 name.

So glad Intel has taken the complexity out of it. Actually, the company acknowledges that there will be multiple brands in the market next year, including the old names, as the company makes the transition.

Under the Core brand, the i3 represents the entry-level of the Core family, with Core i5 and Core i7 representing the mid-level and high-level products. Celeron will stick around for entry-level computing, Pentium for basic computing and Atom for devices such as netbooks and smartphones. For PCs, think of Celeron being good, Pentium being better and Core being best.

Even Centrino, which came to be synonymous with wireless computing, won’t completely go away. The company plans to transition the name to WiFi and WiMax products next year.

Dell Grows Intel 'Nehalem EP' Iron

Intel Corp., the world's largest chipmaker, will sell processors to Nokia Oyj for mobile devices, marking the biggest breakthrough in Intel's expansion into the phone market.

The two will develop a new mobile device and chips, Intel and Nokia said today in a statement. Intel will also get mobile- phone radio technology from Nokia and the companies will develop versions of the Linux operating system for mobile devices.

Intel, whose microprocessors run more than 80 percent of the world's personal computers, has struggled for about a decade to get a foothold in the market for mobile-phone chips. The company has a unit that sells a scaled-down version of its personal-computer processor. The chip, called Atom, is designed for mobile devices that access the Web and handle basic computing functions.

"Even if they get just a piece of Nokia's business, it's a big deal," said Will Strauss, a Cave Creek, Arizona-based analyst for research firm Forward Concepts. "Nokia is still the biggest cell-phone maker in the world."

In 2006, Intel Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini scrapped his predecessor's $5 billion investment in chips for mobile devices, after the company was late to the market and failed to win enough customers.

Restarted Effort

Now Otellini is again pushing to get Intel's chips into phones, a bid to lessen the company's reliance on computers, which account for more than 90 percent of sales. A total of 1.21 billion mobile phones were sold globally last year, according to ABI Research in Oyster Bay, New York.

Intel rose 3 cents to $15.71 at 11:18 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The stock had gained 7 percent this year before today. Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, fell 10 cents to 10.19 euros in Helsinki trading.

Intel Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith said in February that the company needed to land one of the top five mobile-phone makers if it wanted to build a significant business.

Intel is challenging Texas Instruments Inc., the largest maker of chips used to run programs in mobile phones. San Diego- based Qualcomm Inc., meanwhile, supplies the majority of communications chips for phones. Both companies have said that Intel would struggle to break their dominance because its products use too much power.

Intel announced in February it had landed LG Electronics Inc., the world's third-largest phone maker, as a customer. LG will use an Intel processor to make a mobile Internet device, a cross between a mobile phone and a computer.

Intel's attempts to create a mobile business have foundered in the past, even when they've had announcements of interest from customers, said Jim McGregor, an analyst at Scottsdale, Arizona-based research firm In-Stat.

"They've been dreaming of getting a significant win at Nokia," he said. "It's a big announcement, they're a key guy. The only question now is whether they will actually come out with a product."

Atom means Intel is Serious About Smallness

The new moniker "Atom" sets in marketing stone the Intel brand for small devices. I'll skip the banalities about Atom silicon being crucial for Intel's future and just pose a question: Can Intel spur innovation in ultrasmall devices the way it has in the PC and server industry?

I won't hazard any rash predictions but will make a few observations about the current landscape.

First, a little recent history. The ultramobile PC (UMPC) based on Intel's first-generation processor (the A110) for small devices has not exactly been the market sensation that the iPhone has. The Samsung Q1 and the Asus R2H are two examples of products that never really took off. As if to recognize this mistake (and confuse people in the process), Intel has stopped referring to this category of gadgets as UMPC and now calls it the Mobile Internet Device or MID.

This underscores the pitfalls and potential for Intel. The pitfalls: consumers will forever unfavorably compare the UMPC and MID to the more feature-rich notebook PC or, conversely, to the smaller, cheaper cell phone. The potential: a new category of computers spearheaded by a device with an iPhone-like following.

Enter the Atom-branded low-cost platform for ultraportable devices. Asus's popular Intel-based Eee PC is already demonstrating the potential here. So much so that a Sony vice president recently cited the Eee PC as a threat. (He depicted it as causing "a race to the bottom" because of its low price.) The XO laptop offered by the One Laptop Per Child organization is another example. (It uses an AMD Geode processor.) Both are priced around $300 and both are Internet-centric devices that offer the same wireless capabilities of more expensive laptops.

For smaller MID-like devices, such as the iPhone and Nokia N810, success is less certain. Many of the scores of pocket-sized gadgets on the market use processors based on the tried-and-true ARM design. Intel won't displace ARM anytime soon. But these devices are proprietary, which may leave Intel an opening. Because Intel's Atom processor is compatible with the Core 2 Duo instruction set, developers of small devices have a common platform to target.

"This is our smallest processor built with the world's smallest transistors," Intel Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Sean Maloney said in a statement. "This is...a fundamental new shift in design. We believe it will unleash new innovation across the industry."

This is probably true. But Intel has a long way to go in a crowded market that bears little if any resemblance to the PC industry, where the chipmaker competes relatively comfortably with only one other company (AMD). There's also a long wait for Intel's Moorestown, the next generation of small chips for small devices due in 2009 or 2010. The great expectations for Moorestown almost overshadow the current Atom technology. Moorestown will not only be more power efficient but more highly integrated: a system-on-chip (SOC) design combining the CPU, graphics, and memory controller onto a single chip.

Linux Destined For Low-Cost Intel Atom PCs

Intel's low-cost Atom processors will be at the core of inexpensive PCs. And inexpensive computers these days often come with Linux.

How do PC companies shave off the last hundred dollars or so to get to $299 or in some cases $199? Easy. They swap out Windows (pricey) for Linux (free).

Case in point: Home Depot, the home supply store, sells a Mirus-branded desktop with either Windows or Linux. Based on the same hardware, one model sells for $419, the other for $299. Can you guess which one is $299? That's a steep price cut--more than 25 percent--for the system with Linux. Inside the Mirius is a Celeron D 420, which lists for $34, the cheapest chip that Intel currently lists on its pricing Web site.

Linux-based PCs like this are prime real estate for Atom. Especially when reports this week cite the cheapest upcoming Atom processors (due in the second quarter) at below $30.

A likely high-profile candidate for Atom and Linux is the Eee PC. The Linux option allows resellers to keep offerings as cheap as possible. The current Eee PC at Newegg is priced at $349 with Linux and a Celeron M processor (the forerunner--from the standpoint of market positioning--to Atom).

Processors from Via Technologies also match up well with Linux operating systems such as gOS. Wal-Mart sells (online) an Everex gPC2 TC2512 desktop computer with a 1.5GHz Via C7-D Processor and Google-centric gOS for $199.

Though Atom-based computers with Linux will be targeted at emerging markets, the success of the Eee PC in mature markets like the U.S. and Japan means that there is pent-up demand for stripped-down but practical PCs. "In emerging markets it will be a first PC. In mature markets, it will be a second or third PC within a household," said Dean McCarron, founder and principal of Mercury Research. Also, an Atom-based desktop could potentially go on the back of a monitor that is used in point-of-sale applications, McCarron said.

And don't overlook Via's C7 or low-end versions of its upcoming Isaiah processor being paired with low-cost computers with a Linux option. The V7 is slated for HP's upcoming HP 2133 Mini-Note PC and Isaiah is expected to garner a number of design wins in both ultraportable notebooks and desktops.

Though the HP 2133 may not be the best example of a low-cost PC (it is expected to come with Windows Vista Business, hiking the price to almost $750), expect Linux-based "Netbooks" (Intel's self-described category for small, inexpensive notebooks) to be less expensive than this.

Intel Atom N270 Processor Set For Netbooks

The Atom N270 processor got buried last week under the mobile Internet device PR juggernaut. But it may prove to be more popular initially than the high-profile Atom Z5XX series for MIDs.

As previously reported, the Atom Z500, Z510, Z520, Z530, and Z540 series of processors will go into handheld-size mobile Internet devices (MIDs) such as the Lenovo IdeaPad U8. Intel promoted the Z5XX series heavily at IDF because the chipmaker needs to jump-start a new category of personal computers that fit in your pocket. Whether consumers actually need these devices is a question that will be answered later this year.

Intel Atom, Celeron segmentation

(Credit: Intel)

The Atom N270 is quite different in this respect: It has a ready-made market. The N270 will go into an existing market segment--Netbooks--and will replace the popular Celeron in many cases, making this Atom potentially a high-volume chip. For example, currently, the Eee PC and Intel Classmate (technically Netbooks) use the Celeron. Versions of both these compact notebooks are slated to use the Atom. Based on Intel's description of the market, this category of Netbooks will use the N270 (see graphic).

Though the die (the actual processor inside the chip package) is the same for both the Atom Z5XX series and N270, the packaging and chipsets are different (see graphic). The N270 will use the 945GSE and 82801 (ICH7M) core logic. A version of this chipset (with 950 integrated graphics) is used in low-cost notebooks and desktops today. The Celeron has traditionally used the lower-end 915 chipset.

So, the way it shakes out is: the Atom Z5XX series for MIDs; the N270 (and upcoming processors) for Netbooks; the Celeron for low-cost notebooks. Note: the Atom Z5XX series includes a single-chip with integrated graphics called the Intel System Controller Hub.

Japan Handheld With Intel Atom Chip Debuts

Sharp got atomized Monday. The Japanese electronics maker along with Willcom announced the ultra-mobile Willcom D4 "communication device" based on Intel's Atom processor and Microsoft's Vista operating system.

Microsoft and Intel were also credited with development of the device, according to the Japanese-language release on the Sharp Web site.

The handheld-size device uses a 1.33GHz Z520 Intel Atom processor and runs Windows Vista Home Premium (with Service Pack 1). Other prototype devices based on similar designs--referred to as mobile Internet devices or MIDs--have also been shown running the Linux operating system.

With a separate headset, the device can also be used as a phone using Wilcom's Personal Handy-phone System (PHS) network, both Sharp and Willcom said.

The device weighs in at 470 grams (about one pound) and features a 5-inch sliding LCD (1024x600/262K colors) with an LED backlight, a 1.8-inch 40GB hard disk drive (Ultra ATA/100), 64-key QWERTY keyboard, a built-in camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a mirco SD card slot, and a USB 2.0 slot.

The D4's inclusion of a 40GB hard disk drive is an indicator that the device is meant to run Windows--because of the operating system's typically larger footprint--not Linux.

Intel Atom technology includes a single-chip with integrated graphics called the Intel System Controller Hub.

Atom will find its way into fit-in-your-pocket MIDs from Gigabyte, Toshiba, LG Electronics, Lenovo, and BenQ, among others. Netbooks (inexpensive, Internet-centric ultra-small notebook PCs) such as Asus's popular Intel-based Eee PC, MSI's Wind PC, and Clevo will also use the chip.

Willcom D4 is slated for a June release and is expected to be priced at 128,600 yen ($1,272).

Intel Atom Chip Makes Strong Showing

Intel's Atom processor was prominently displayed in systems at a conference in Japan. The chipmaker's next-generation X4500 graphics also made an appearance.

Small systems and circuit boards using the Atom processor appeared on the Web site PC Watch, which highlighted designs at a "Systems Expo" in Tokyo.

A host of small devices with the Atom processor are due in June. The 45-nanometer chip will compete with processors from Via Technologies such as the C7 and upcoming Isaiah processor.

Small PCs and computer systems using the low-power Atom processor included a small embedded computer from Japan-based Dux, a car "infotainment" system from Portwell Japan, and a motherboard for mobile internet devices from Sophia Systems.

Advantech was also showing an Atom-based circuit board as was Nagano. A 1.6GHz Atom-based board from Omron was on display too.

And that's not the only upcoming Intel chip that made an appearance. A board was shown with Intel's upcoming X4500 graphics silicon. The X4500 is slated to be part of the forthcoming GM45 ("Cantiga") chipset for the mobile Centrino 2 platform and the G45 ("Eaglelake-G") chipset for desktops.

Intel Debuts Atom Circuit Boards

Appropriately, a tiny Intel system board has debuted to match the tiny Atom processor. This could yield more portable desktop PC designs like the Eee Box.

The Intel-made motherboard is based on the Mini-ITX standard, which was originally developed by Via Technologies.

Diminutive desktops based on these motherboards can get as small as a typical notebook PC--a design small enough and light enough to be portable.

Intel is calling this category of desktops that sport an Atom 230 or N270 processor Nettops.

Nettops are designed for basic computing tasks like browsing the Web and sending e-mail and are generally cheap, usually less than $300. They typically offer more expansion options, more ports, and greater flexibility than Atom-based Netbooks, which are essentially small notebook PCs.

Intel Nettops contain tiny desktop motherboards.

Intel Xeon processor 5300 series

Intel® Xeon® processors for embedded computing platforms

Breakthrough performance, energy efficiency, extended lifecycle support and common socket Intel Xeon processor-based systems make them the ideal choice for compute-intensive embedded, storage and communications applications.

Lower thermal design power (TDP) and higher Tcase temperature Intel Xeon processor options are ideal options for low power consumption and/or compliance with the AdvancedTCA* form factor and NEBS level-3 thermal specifications*.

Platform configurations

These processors are validated with two different chipsets, providing a choice of flexible, dual-processor-capable platforms for a wide range of applications. These include storage area networks (SANs), network attached storage (NAS), routers, IP-PBX, converged/unified communications platforms, sophisticated content firewalls, unified threat management (UTM) systems, medical imaging equipment, military signal and image processing, and telecommunications (wireless and wireline) servers.

• Intel® 5000P chipset-based platforms are ideal for full performance and memory-intense applications by providing a maximum FB-DIMM memory capacity of 64 GB, 28 lanes of PCI Express* and accelerated I/O options.
• Intel® 5100 Memory Controller Hub (MCH) chipset-based platforms are ideal for bladed and dense bladed applications requiring less than 200 watts, including AdvancedTCA and NEBS-compliance.

Intel Atom Processor N270

The Intel® Atom™ processor N270Ω, implemented in 45nm technology, is power-optimized and delivers robust performance-per-watt for cost-effective embedded solutions. Featuring extended lifecycle support, this processor offers an excellent solution for embedded market segments such as digital signage, interactive clients (kiosks, point-of-sale terminals), thin clients, digital security, residential gateways, print imaging, and commercial and industrial control. The processor remains software compatible with previous 32-bit Intel® architecture and complementary silicon.

This single-core processor is validated with the mobile Intel® 945GSE Express Chipset, consisting of the Intel® 82945GSE Graphics Memory Controller Hub and Intel® I/O Controller Hub 7-M. The chipset features power-efficient graphics with an integrated 32-bit 3D graphics engine based on Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 architecture with SDVO, LVDS, CRT, and TV-Out display ports. It provides rich I/O capabilities and flexibility via high-bandwidth interfaces such as PCI Express,* PCI, Serial ATA, and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity.

Product highlights

• Intel Atom processor N270 at 1.6 GHz core speed with 533 MHz AGTL+ front-side bus and 2.5 watts thermal design power¹ (TDP)
• Intel hafnium-based 45nm Hi-k metal gate silicon process technology reduces power consumption, increases switching speed, and significantly increases transistor density over previous 65nm technology
• Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology² (two threads) provides high performance-per-watt efficiency in an in-order pipeline and increased system responsiveness in multi-tasking environments. One execution core is seen as two logical processors, and parallel threads are executed on a single core with shared resources
• Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology reduces average system power consumption.

Intel Atom Processor N270

The Intel® Atom™ processor N270Ω, implemented in 45nm technology, is power-optimized and delivers robust performance-per-watt for cost-effective embedded solutions. Featuring extended lifecycle support, this processor offers an excellent solution for embedded market segments such as digital signage, interactive clients (kiosks, point-of-sale terminals), thin clients, digital security, residential gateways, print imaging, and commercial and industrial control. The processor remains software compatible with previous 32-bit Intel® architecture and complementary silicon.

This single-core processor is validated with the mobile Intel® 945GSE Express Chipset, consisting of the Intel® 82945GSE Graphics Memory Controller Hub and Intel® I/O Controller Hub 7-M. The chipset features power-efficient graphics with an integrated 32-bit 3D graphics engine based on Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 architecture with SDVO, LVDS, CRT, and TV-Out display ports. It provides rich I/O capabilities and flexibility via high-bandwidth interfaces such as PCI Express,* PCI, Serial ATA, and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity.

Intel silicon Processor LCD

As for the future of Atom, the person has of course referred to the new platform Moorestown without giving more details. A Wafer of Moorestown was still exhibited before qu'Anand Chandrasekher gives us an appointment next spring to learn more about this new platform that would enable Intel to bring its solution Atom in mobile phones, if everything is fine.
And since there was definitely nothing to announce, we video was projected to show us a concept phone tactile, largely inspired by the iPhone but animated by an Intel processor and offering functions geolocation or reading code bar. Finally Anand Chandrasekher gave a demonstration of an Intel MID Atom running the famous game World of Warcraft, the MID is connected to an LCD screen.