Intel brings forward tech for low-cost PCs
More desktop, notebook Eee-alikes on the way
Intel has brought forward the launch of its 'Shelton' platform for budget-priced PCs, it has been claimed. Originally due in Q3, the technology for desktops and notebooks will now debut in May.
Shelton is based around the 45nm, single-core 1.6GHz 'Diamondville' processor and variants of the 945G integrated chipset. Diamondville sits on a 533MHz frontside bus and contains 512KB of L2 cache.
Not a number-crunching monster, then. But since Shelton's aimed at machines along the lines of Asus' Eee PC, where price is more important than performance, that's no great surprise.
What will be interesting to see is how Diamondville compares with Intel's other new mobile chip, the UMPC-oriented 'Silverthorne'. That chip also contains just one processing core, but it uses HyperThreading technology to appear as a virtual dual-core part.
Diamondville for desktops will go to market as the 230 processor, according to sources cited by DigiTimes, though whether it will ship as a Celeron, a Core or some other brand remains unclear. The mobile version will be called the N270.
Both CPUs and the chipset will operate without active cooling, partly to keep the noise down, but mostly to enable smaller, cheaper systems.
COMMENTS
What about GPU?
What we really need is media and games with PC and phone, but where is the GPU?
The Asus is deficient in many ways, one is the price, where is the $199US-$250 models? Another is that the screen is much smaller than the width. The resolution is so small, smaller than DVD. It does not have an UMPC like tablet version with slide out keyboard. Did I mention no real GPU. For the size and price of the present model they could have given people DVD and options for HDTV tuners.
So, What about an Open Linux/Windows Gaming Tablet MID with slide out keyboard, and descent GPU. With DVD to 720p HDTV resolution. It could even be made with HDTV tuner and DVD burner.
