Hasta La Gadget!

So, here’s the situation. The current fleet of netbooks would be rendered next to useless with Vista loaded on, but having Windows XP on there forces manufacturers to regurgitate specification lists. Rather than using the introduction of Windows 7 to fully pursue a world where netbooks can actually run around freely with 2GB (or even 3GB!) of RAM and chipsets powerful enough to open seven Excel sheets simultaneously, Intel is today sparking up its Atom Processor Developer Program. The reason? To “spur a new wave of applications for… netbooks, with support for handhelds and smartphones available in the future.” Call us calloused, but that sounds a lot like a company pushing for “lite” software that functions on sluggish hardware.

Granted, we know that’s not exactly the case here — after all, even we wouldn’t argue that some applications could benefit from being re-written to operate on a 10.1-inch display — but it still feels like Intel’s pushing software programmers to cater to underwhelming hardware rather than innovating its chips to work faster and more efficiently. There’s no doubt that this feeling is compounded by just how long we’ve been waiting for a new wave of Atom CPUs, but at long last, we digress. The program actually has quite a few positive merits, such as striving to “reduce overhead and streamline the creation of new applications” for smaller devices — something that would benefit every user regardless of processor. So far, both Acer and Dell have voiced their support for the program, giving us at least a modicum of reassurance that the Aspire One and Mini lines aren’t vanishing anytime soon. Hit the read link for the glorified details, if you’re into that type of thing.

[Via jkkmobile]

Filed under: Software

Intel Atom dev program launched, seeks to inspire netbook-centric applications originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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See that tiny little thing? That’s not just a CPU, it’s Intel’s next-gen Atom Pine Trail CPU / GPU hybrid, and it’s set to pop in all sorts of devices here at IDF. Intel was demoing it in a nettop running 480p video, but they assured us it was capable of 1080p playback — we’ll believe it when we see it, obviously. Also on display here at IDF: demo machines running 32nm Arrandale chips, with Intel’s Clear HD video playback system, and the next-gen Gulftown gaming chip, which has six cores and will slot right into your X58 mobo to provide more power than you possibly need sometime next year. Check it all in the gallery!

Update: So the first Intel rep we spoke to was a little confused — Pine Trail only supports 480p playback, although it can apparently do 720p if pushed. Native HD isn’t on Intel’s roadmap until the next generation of these chips, so If you want HD right now, Intel’s pointing manufacturers to the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, which usually ends up costing about $30 extra at retail. So to recap: Intel’s integrating graphics into its CPU dies, but in order to play back HD content, you still need a separate video processor to handle the decoding. How very efficient.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Eyes-on with Intel’s Pine Trail CPU/GPU hybrid and new Gulftown gaming chip (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel just announced a new version of Moblin designed for phones, running on an Atom-based phone. The interface has been redesigned for handheld usage, and there’s a lot of widget-based social networking integration, as well as a panels-based navigation system that allows you to flip through multiple running applications. There’s no hard date on when this might ship, but it was demoed running on a MID — which we’ll be scoring the show floor trying to find just as soon as the keynote is over.

Continue reading Intel announces Moblin 2.1 for phones

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Intel announces Moblin 2.1 for phones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel’s processor for desktops and laptops can be a jumble of codenames — Lynnfield, Nehalem or Clarkdale anyone? Add to that a rebranding initiative, unveiled three months ago, that split the same codenames across different chip families, and it can get downright confusing.

With Intel’s developer conference, aka IDF, set to kick off Tuesday, we have created a guide to understanding Intel’s different consumer processors.

Intel currently has three main chip families: Core i7, Core i5 and Core 2. All are based on the 45nm technology that Intel started moving to in late 2007 and are available to consumers now. Eventually the company hopes to phase out the Core 2 line of products and introduce a new entry-level processor, Core i3.

Read on for a more detailed explanation of each family.

Core i7: Codenamed Bloomfield and Lynnfield, Core i7 includes the latest desktop processors from Intel. The CPUs are billed as Intel’s fastest and most advanced processors.

The 45-nanometer processors are based on Intel’s Nehalem micro-architecture. They include features such as hyperthreading technology that gives the chips the ability to execute eight threads simultaneously on four processing cores, better power management and an integrated memory controller. (Read more about Nehalem and its key features.)

The Core i7 desktop family comes in two broad flavors: regular and extreme. Once carrying the Lynnfield moniker, Core i7’s regular edition processors have clock speeds from 2.66 GHz up to 3.06 GHz.

The extreme edition, formerly codenamed Bloomfield, offers two processors with clock speeds of 3.20 GHz and 3.33 GHz. These are CPUs billed for hardened Call of Duty and Crysis gamers and graphics creators. The chips help deliver more realistic game environments for players and are popular among graphics and multimedia creators, says Intel.

Intel also has a Core i7 CPU for laptops in the works, with the codename Clarksfield. The company is expected to announce specification and details of availability for these processors “very soon.”

Core i5: The Core i5 family comprises mid-range processors that have four cores and are available with clock speeds from 2.66 GHz to 3.20 GHz. They were also formerly bunched under the Lynnfield codename. The chips are based on the 45nm lithography process but lack the advanced features of the Core i7 chips, such as hyperthreading. These CPUs are targeted at mainstream PCs that do a bit of gaming and multimedia but not enough to require the blow-out-the-sockets kind of horsepower that comes from the Core i7 chips.

Intel plans to release 32nm versions of the Core i5 chips, codenamed Clarkdale, early next year.

Core i3: There’s not much known about the Core i3 family beyond that it is expected to be Intel’s entry-level processor. The company’s newest chips are always introduced for high-end PCs and then trickle down to more basic computers.

Intel has said that Core i3 chips could be out in early 2010, although the company now promises to have it ready for release at the end of the year. Speculation about Core i3 has so far been focused on the Arrandale and Clarkdale chips. Arrandale is expected to be a 32nm CPU for laptops, while Clarkdale will be the version for desktops.

These chips won’t have some of the advanced features, such as Turbo Boost, but they are expected to offer a step forward from the earlier generation of processors in terms of speed.

Core 2: The Core 2 line of chips come in dual-core and quad-core versions, known as Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad, respectively.

The Core 2 Duo, formerly called Penryn, has two processing cores and is available in clock speeds ranging from 2.13 GHz to 3.16 GHz. It is mostly also based on the 45nm process technology, though Intel does still offer a Core 2 Duo chip based on the 65nm process.

The Core 2 Quad processors, codenamed Yorkfield, have four processing cores and offer clock speeds ranging from 2.33 GHz to 2.83 GHz.

Intel offers a version of the Core 2 processors called Core 2 Extreme for laptops. The 45nm Core 2 Extreme processor comes in two-core and quad-core versions with clock speeds ranging from 2.53 GHz to 3.06 GHz.

The chart below explains Intel’s consumer processor families.

See Also:

• Why Intel’s Processors Aren’t Big on Cellphones
• Intel, Nokia To Create New Mobile Architecture and Devices …
• Intel Pushes New Operating System For Netbooks
• Intel Demonstrates Wireless Power Technology
• Intel Launches New Desktop Processor

Photo: Nehalem wafer/ Intel

We’ve already witnessed the unveiling of ASUS’ largest two UL series laptops, so it’s only fair to pass along an in-depth look at the midget of the bunch. The UL30A was recently taken for a ride over at HotHardware, and while we’ve had our suspicions as to whether Intel’s CULV platform really would provide an incentive for to-be netbook buyers to spend a bit more, it seems as if this ultraportable definitely is worth the extra scratch. Unlike your average Atom-powered netbook, the UL30 could actually handle 720p video like a champ (though 1080p brought it to its knees), and even with Vista taking a toll on its resources, day to day work was found to be surprisingly snappy. At $749 and up, the seductively silver UL30 was found to be a solid buy in its category, but we’re not asking you to take our word for it. Hit that read link for the full writeup, benchmarks and all.

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS 13.3-inch UL30 gets reviewed, called a cutie pie originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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