Further confirmation has emerged that Intel will phase out its Mobile Pentium 4 processor during Q1 2005.

A move to end-of-line the MP4 was signalled last February by Intel's mobile products chief, Anand Chandrasekher. Speaking to reporters at Intel Developer Forum, he said that the company will probably kill off the Mobile P4 "around Q1 2005 or maybe a little later".

And now unnamed Taiwanese sources cited by DigiTimes, allege notebook contract manufacturer lost an order from HP after the PC giant re-opened bidding in response to an Intel roadmap update.

The change? A plan to phase out the MP4 by Q2 2005.

We can't confirm or refute the Wistron-HP story, but it now seems clear that Intel does indeed intend to drop the MP4, almost certainly in favour of Pentium M-based systems. The PM already offers comparable performance to the MP4, and the recent arrival of the 90nm version, 'Dothan', plus upcoming higher frontside bus speeds courtesy of the 'Alviso' chipset, should position the PM as a viable CPU for mainstream notebooks as well as a part for thin'n'light models. Desktop replacement system will continue to be based on desktop CPUs and chipsets.

Other sources claim Alviso will not now ship until Q1 2005, making its use as the successor to the MP4 seem even more likely. ®

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