Intel Next Generation Atom Platform

Intel to suspend Atom Z sales to netbook makers

From Digitimes -

Intel reportedly will no longer accept orders for its Atom Z from netbook makers as it is getting close to completely clearing its inventory. The company is expected to completely stop the supply of Atom Z processors before the end of 2009. However, it will still fulfill orders already placed by Acer, Asus, and MSI.

Intel to launch successor to Atom N270 CPU in October at the earliest

From Digitimes -

Intel is scheduled to replace the Atom N270 with the Atom N450 at the earliest by October. Codenamed Pine Trail, the 45nm Atom N450 will be a single-core CPU with built-in northbridge functions, and will be paired with the new NM10 (Tiger Point) chipset.

Atom market on track, says Intel

From Digitimes -

Intel has refuted recent market reports claiming demand its Atom processor is slowing, especiallyh in China. While not directly addressing the issue, the company noted that it provided complete mobile product lines and it recently released the higher-end CULV-baed chipsets. As such a slowing of Intel Atom demand for some makers would be expected, as they shift to the higher-margin CULV-based products. And while most China-based netbook makers are not major players and are not expected to compete in the CULV market but will continue to focus on Atom-based products, demand and supply for the processor remains sufficient there, though supply is tightening for other IC components.

Nvidia CEO: Intel Atom could hurt the hardware and software industries

TG Daily has more excerpts from Laptop Mag's interview with Nvidia CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang -

"The Atom platform is creating an installed base that doesn't run modern applications. It doesn't run anything well from Electronic Arts, it doesn't run anything well from Adobe, it doesn't run anything well from Microsoft. I just mentioned the top software companies in the world. So in a way, the Atom platform is creating an installed base of PCs that's going to eventually hurt the PC software industry."

"...I couldn't understand why Intel would limit great PCs from reaching the market. Great PCs help Intel. Great PCs help humanity. Great PCs are great for the entire industry and entire market. What the industry needs are products that really excite consumers, so that even in these difficult times they'll come back to buy PCs. I would hope that Intel isn't doing anything to prevent consumers from getting the most innovative products, in this case, built around Atom, their own processor. I think consumers would be really disappointed if they learned that Intel is sabotaging their ability to get access to breakthrough technologies."

Hmmm. Those are pretty strong words. I wonder what Intel's reaction will be. Of course, we have to keep in mind where Mr. Huang is coming from, he being the CEO of Nvidia, which makes products typically found only in full-featured models.

You can read the full interview here.

Intel Announces Two Cores in Atom

From Softpedia -

Intel will be launching next month its highly anticipated dual-core Atom processor, designed for netbooks. The Atom 330 will have same 1.6GHz core speed as the single-core N270 and will run on the same 533MHz bus. But the 330's dual-core processor architecture should make it significantly faster.Other features include a HyperThreading support for each processor and a total on-die L2 cache of 1MB, with 512K for each core. Downside, it also uses the same 945C chipset, which could actually lower performance.

The dual-core Atom could also enable system vendors like ASUS to update its netbooks with high-performance Atom 330-based products. Dell and HP will likely launch their dual-core Atom netbooks before 2009.

VIA Nano and Intel's Atom benchmarked head-to-head

From Engadget -

PC Perspective, Eee PC News, and Hot Hardware all ran comparison tests of the Via Nano and the Intel Atom 230 recently, and a 1.8GHz Nano L2100 with Chrome9 graphics outperformed a 1.6GHz Atom 230 with GMA950 graphics at everything from MP3 ripping to 3D benchmarking. There are trade-offs with the Nano a bit more power-hungry, and the Atom's memory and graphics systems occasionally. Still, the Nano seems to have more raw horsepower than the Atom -- and it's pin-compatible with VIA's popular C7M, so hopefully subnotebooks like HP's Mini-Note will make the jump.


Source article here.