Intel is launching its line of processors for thin, inexpensive
laptops at the Computex tech conference in Taipei. Intel marketing
chief Sean Maloney talked about this in a phone interview.
Intel marketing chief Sean Maloney
(Credit: Intel)"It's clear that people like devices to be thin and light," said
Maloney, who was speaking from the Computex conference in Taipei where
he will be giving a keynote on Tuesday.
"We've really taken that to heart and come out with a complete
top-to-bottom range of microprocessors that enable radically longer
battery life and much smaller designs," said Maloney, referring to
Intel's new lineup of consumer ultra-low-voltage (CULV) processors.
Maloney continued. "There are a lot of computers being announced
here (Computex) that look like conventional notebooks in terms of how
wide the screens are, but they're super-thin, the performance is very
good, and they get up to nine hours battery life without a big, fat
battery at the back," he said.
MSI X340 X-Slim laptop is one of the first CULV laptops
(Credit: MSI)"It's a big change for industry. It means the technology weaves its
way into your life more because you're going to have all-day
notebooks," Maloney said.
The new processors will encompass the Core 2, Pentium, and Celeron processor architectures, according to Maloney.
Prices for these new laptops will start at $399 and range up to $2,000 in some cases, Maloney said.
And will laptops based on these chips impact the sales of Netbooks?
"I don't think so," Maloney said, but added: "It's a loser mentality to
not develop one segment because you're worried about the other."
Maloney continued. "The demographics (for Netbooks) that's
completely untouched is kids between the ages of 7 and 12. So, the
Netbook market is still at a very early stage," he said.
In addition, Intel unveiled the Mobile Intel GS40 Express Chipset
for the new ULV-based laptops. This "value" chipset enables ULV-based
laptops to support HD (high-definition) playback,
Windows Vista Premium support and native support for integrated HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface).
Wireles options will include embedded WiMAX or Intel "My Wi-Fi"
technology. My Wi-Fi transforms a laptop into a WiFi personal area
network, connecting directly with up to eight Wi-Fi-certified devices,
according to Intel.
Though a crush of new thin laptops are expected, the MSI X340
is one of the first. The X340 has a 13.4-inch screen, weighs 2.86
pounds, and measures .78 inches thick.
Credits: News.Com
