Netbook makers point to H2 '09 for dual-core mobile Atom debut
Year's wait ahead
Don't expect a dual-core Atom-based netbook until next summer, manufacturers of Small, Cheap Computers have warned.
This week, Asus chief Jerry Shen promised his company would offer a dual-core Eee PC whenever Intel ships a dual-core Atom suitable for mobile devices. The chip giant, he indicated, has not said when this will be.
However, earlier MSI's US sales supremo, Andy Tang, revealed in an interview with Laptop Magazine that "Intel is holding off on the mobile version of the dual-core Atom processor.
"I don’t think we will see availability of that processor until the second half of 2009," he forecast.
Intel has now begun selling a dual-core Atom, the 1.6GHz 330, but it's a desktop part and consumes way more power than would be suitable for an SCC sized around, say, an 8.9in screen.
The 330 consumes 8W of power - the 1.6GHz N270 found in most SCCs consumes just 2.5W.
Hopefully, the dual-core Atom will debut with a more compact, less power-hungry chipset than the 945GSE that today's mobile Atoms come with. It consumes up to 6W - more than double the power demand of the CPU it's paired with.
There's another reason for waiting: the dual-core mobile Atom will be based on a next-gen core, codenamed 'Pineview', which will connect to its I/O chip partner across a DMI (Direct Media Interface) bus rather than a frontside bus - just like the upcoming 'Nehalem' desktop processors.
COMMENTS
soooo...
the dual-core atom consumes 3 times the power of a single core..2.5w v 8w
it states here: "It consumes up to 6W - more than double the power demand of the CPU it's paired with."
6w-2.5w=3.5w is being drawn by the chipset?
therefore 8w+3.5w=11w...still seems rather low to me? (i've only 6 months ago bought my first laptop, so i'm primarily a desktop person...)
i'm not sure how much power my E6750, draws, but i'm guessing it's a good deal more than 8w?
how much power would be drawn using a dual-core atom with a decent chipset?
are intel holding this better-chipset-for-the-atom back deliberately?
hmmz...
i can understand the thinking behind "SCC"'s (/netbook's/baby laptops) NOT being intended for much else other than abrowsin' and amailin', but why not have this option for those that want it?
i'd like to have a more powerful netbook to DJ with. this would be permanently plugged in anyway, so the power draw would not affect me. i'm sure there are other instances where this extra power draw would not be a problem, but that the extra processing power would be wanted/needed.
cheers,
bill
p.s. stuff and nonsense: http://www.eupeople.net/forum
baby laptop thread: http://www.eupeople.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487
all welcome :)
