Intel brings £100 PCs and laptops a step closer
Posted on 2 Apr 2008 at 09:49
The first day of IDF has seen Intel launch new classes of device dubbed the netbook and nettop, based on the ultra-low-power Silverthorne processor, which was officially rebranded and launched today as the Atom.
With the announcement has come a range of devices by both Intel and third parties designed with ultra-low cost in mind.
The devices Intel is calling nettops are ultra-low-cost, low-power desktop PCs designed primarily for internet access but still running a full desktop operating system.
The netbook is the same idea extended to laptops, among them the amazingly sleek $370 MSI design we revealed yesterday.
The two reference designs shown by Intel are expected to find their way to OEMs and retail for even less - as little as $250.
In his keynote speech, Intel's head of mobility Dadi Perlmutter confirmed that ultra-low-cost computers are a trend that's exploding in the wake of the OLPC project and Asus' Eee PC.
Intel has specifically designed Atom-based motherboards and systems to be low cost.
"In order to be affordable it needs to be purpose built," said Perlmutter, who claimed that a number of measures including putting "a lot of technology into the CPU so you can build a small motherboard" has resulted in systems with "a 20% saving compared to low-cost designs that exist today".
Following Perlmutter, the head of ultra-mobile Anand Chandrasekher confirmed that Atom devices will be available in as little as two months: "The silicon is in production; we've started shipping... we believe you will see these products over the next 60 days."
Other announcements from Intel at IDF have so far included a new platform for mobile PCs dubbed Moorestown, which measures just 5cm square, and the company's surprise entry into the solid state hard disk market.
Intel briefly showed a 160GB SSD at the event, implying that it will improve upon the performance of existing models from other manufacturers. A demonstration PC running the device was shown to load applications almost instantaneously.
The announcement surprised Intel's UK staff, who claimed that they had previously heard nothing of the device.
Author: David Fearon
advertisement
- Why Britain's watchdogs have fewer teeth than goldfish
- Tabbed documents: how to make Office 2010 great
- Outlook 2010 People Pane – does it spell death to Xobni
- Microsoft Outlook 2010 screenshots
- Co-Authoring in Word 2010 and SharePoint Foundation 2010
- Microsoft Outlook 2010 screenshots: Backstage view
- Flash 10.1: Developing for Desktop and Device
- Microsoft Office 2010 screenshots: Recover unsaved items
- Microsoft Word 2010 screenshots: Text Effects
- Microsoft Word 2010: inserting screenshots
- Getting to grips with Microsoft's IT Health Environment Scanner
- Virtualise your servers
- The changing face of travel gadgets
- Build your own distributed file system
- The bulletproof Dell that costs an arm and a leg
- Microsoft Office 2010 Technical Preview: Q&A
- Lawnmowers, the TyTN II and one odd insurance request
- There'll never be a bulletproof OS
- How far can we trust apps?
- Five nice touches in Outlook 2010
advertisement
Printed from www.pcpro.co.uk




