IDF China: Mobile computing driven by personalization, content

By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor -- Electronic News, 4/18/2007

Describing the latest trends in mobile computing at the Intel Developer Forum being held this week in Beijing, Intel executives say that personalization and content are the key drivers behind increased demand for notebook PCs and mobile Internet devices (MID).

David Perlmutter, senior VP and general manager of Intel’s mobility group said at the conference, “The Internet is one of the driving forces in today’s PC market and there is a desire for the Internet to be mobile.”

Intel said it plans to expand its reach by adding WiMax to notebooks as well as small form factor MIDs in 2008.

Perlmutter also said high-performance processors have played an important role in giving users mobile access to the internet and would continue to do so, pointing to the company’s next generation Centrino processor technology codenamed “Santa Rosa,” due out next month, and comprised of a next-generation Intel Core2 Duo processor, the Mobile Intel 965 Express chipset family, Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Network Connection, Intel 82566MM and 82566MC Gigabit Network Connection, and optional Intel Turbo memory.

Intel reminded that its turbo memory technology is meant to decrease resume time from notebook hibernation thereby increasing productivity and reducing system power consumption.

In the first half of next year, Santa Rosa will be refreshed with Intel’s 45-nm Hi-k dual core mobile processor, "Penryn." Then, later next year, Intel said it will deliver "Montevina" processor technology, also with Penryn, for even greater performance and energy efficiency.

Montevina is aimed at mini- and sub-notebooks given its approximately 40 percent smaller components, Intel said, and will include integrated hardware decode for high-definition video.

In a first for Intel, the company said it will make its integrated Wi-Fi/WiMAX solution available as an option with Montevina-based notebooks to allow for easy connectivity to Wi-Fi and WiMAX networks worldwide.

Mobile WiMAX promises multi-megabit speed, greater throughput and wider range versus other wireless broadband technologies – crucial as consumers increasingly want to access user-generated content, high-definition videos, music, photos and other large data files while on the go.

Next, Anand Chandrasekher, senior VP and general manager of Intel’s ultra mobility group discussed the evolution of the personal mobile Internet, outlined changes in Intel's silicon roadmap that will create radical reductions in power requirements and new packaging technology, as well as disclosed a range of industry players that Intel is working with to establish the MID and ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) categories.

Chandrasekher also introduced the Intel Ultra Mobile platform 2007 (formerly codenamed "McCaslin") for MIDs and UMPCs, which is based on the Intel processor A100 and A110, the Intel 945GU Express Chipset and the Intel ICH7U I/O Controller Hub. Systems are expected to be available over the summer from companies such as Fujitsu, Haier and Samsung.

In discussing the Ultra Mobile platform, Chandrasekher noted that in 2008, Intel will deliver an entirely new platform based on Intel’s 45-nm low-power microarchitecture designed from the ground up to let people to carry their personal mobile Internet in their pocket.

Pulling in the schedule by half a year, Intel said it will deliver its platform for MIDs and UMPCs, codenamed "Menlow," in the first half of 2008, which will be based on a new 45-nm Hi-k low power microarchitecture-based processor, codenamed "Silverthorne," and next-generation chipset, codenamed "Poulsbo."

Intel also announced the formation of the Mobile Internet Device Innovation Alliance that will work on engineering challenges, including power management, wireless communications, and software integration, associated with delivering the full Internet in ever-smaller MID form factors.

Finally, Intel said its next-generation processors for the ultra-mobile, mobile, desktop, workstation and server segments will be based on the company's 45-nm silicon process technology that uses high-k metal gate transistors.

Intel senior fellow Mark Bohr said the company now has working versions of its Silverthorne processor based on its 45-nm Hi-k low power microarchitecture for MIDs and UMPCs.

Silverthorne joins working versions of 45-nm Hi-k Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad and Intel Xeon processors.

Intel reminded it has more than 15 different 45-nm Hi-k product designs in various stages of development, and will have two 45-nm manufacturing fabs in production by the end of the year, with four in production by the second half of 2008.

Bohr concluded that Intel is already working on technology for 32-nm, 22-nm and beyond, and is researching tri-gate transistors, Indium Antimonide quantum well transistors and carbon nanotube interconnects.