New Laptop Chips, Software Developer Program Unveiled by Intel
Chip maker announced three Core i7 laptop processors and seeks to encourage developers and ISVs to create mobile applications.
At its developer conference in San Francisco today, Intel Corporation debuted three new Intel Core i7 processors for laptops and outlined a new program for ISVs to encourage them to create mobile applications.
Based on the company’s Nehalem microarchitecture, the new Intel Core i7 processors and a new chipset include such features as Intel Turbo Boost Technology and Intel Hyper-Threading. The quad-core chips deliver processing power on-the-go for the PC users who create digital video, play intense games, or run compute-intensive business applications.
In his keynote, David (Dadi) Perlmutter, executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Group, noted: “Staying connected on an increasingly broad array of mobile devices has become the most exciting and quickly evolving part of technology. Intel is delivering the total mobile experience on each device, offering different levels of performance and power in sleek form factors coupled with compatibility, a superior mobile Internet experience, and embedded WiMAX wireless broadband. We’re truly taking mobility to the next level of cool.”
Perlmutter also highlighted Intel’s next generation of mobile processors, codenamed Arrandale, which brings the Nehalem microarchitecture to mainstream laptops. These chips will integrate the dual-core CPU and graphics in the package and incorporate the 32nm manufacturing process and second-generation high-k metal gate transistors for increased performance and power efficiency for mainstream mobile PCs. This integration of platform components will continue into the future with a fully monolithic processor on 32nm, codenamed Sandy Bridge.
Citing a combination of architectural, design, and process enhancements, Perlmutter detailed progress with Intel’s Moorestown platform, scheduled for 2010 and targeting MIDs and smartphones. He discussed some of the techniques that Intel is implementing, such as Distributed Power Gating, for improved performance and reductions in power and thermal envelope.
These technologies, says Intel, help to achieve up to a 50x improvement in platform idle power reduction compared with the company’s first generation Menlow platform. The reductions are enabling Intel establish new thresholds in ultra-low power while making it possible to run the full Internet and media-rich applications in handheld devices.
Perlmutter also touched on Intel’s third-generation ultra-low power platform, codenamed Medfield. Expected in 2011, Medfield will be a single-chip 32nm system-on-chip (SoC) design that will enable a much smaller form factor and lower power designs than Moorestown, helping to extend the chip maker into smartphone segments.
Perlmutter demonstrated a new high-speed optical cable technology scheduled to be ready by next year to connect mainstream electronic devices such as laptops, HD displays, cameras, video players, docking stations, and solid-state drives (SSDs) to each other using optical fiber rather than copper wires. Developed by Intel and codenamed Light Peak, this proposed technology will deliver 10Gb/s of bandwidth, with the potential ability to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade. At 10Gb/s, a user could transfer a full-length Blu-ray movie in less than 30 seconds, according to Intel. The company intends to work with the industry to determine the best way to make the new technology a broadly available standard.
Perlmutter also announced Intel Anti-Theft Technology (Intel AT) version 2.03, which disables a laptop PC and access to encrypted data if the machine is lost or stolen. Collaborating with security ISVs, Intel AT is said to enable enhanced data protection and PC theft deterrence for consumers and a broad number of consumer and business laptops from leading PC OEMs in 2010.
A Continuum of Intel Platforms
In the conference’s second keynote, Renee James, corporate vice president and general manager of Intel’s Software and Services Group, unveiled the Intel Atom Developer Program. This effort encourages independent software vendors and developers to create mobile applications. Intel is partnering with manufacturers, including Acer and ASUS, to create multiple application stores where applications and application building blocks for Intel-based netbooks and handhelds will be sold.
“The Intel Atom Developer Program will drive new innovative applications for consumers and new revenue streams for software developers,” said James. “The new program facilitates the creation of applications that consumers can use with confidence knowing they were optimized and validated for Intel Atom processor-based devices.”
Microsoft Silverlight and Moblin
Additionally, operating system support for Microsoft Silverlight will be expanded to include Moblin early next year. Moblin is an open-source operating system project for netbooks, handhelds, smartphones, and in-car computers. Using Silverlight’s cross-platform foundation, developers will be able to write applications once and have them run on Windows and Moblin devices.
Demonstrating industry momentum for netbooks and the Moblin operating system, James announced that the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v with Ubuntu Moblin Remix Developer Edition pre-installed will be available starting Sept. 24. James also announced that ASUS and Acer have launched, and Samsung is planning to launch, †Moblin version 2-based netbook devices. Multiple operating system vendors, including Canonical, CS2C, Linpus, Mandriva, Novell, Phoenix, and Turbolinux, announced that production-ready Moblin version 2-based operating systems are now available.