New Chip Platform Surfaces on Updated Intel Netbook Roadmap

It's a well known fact that Intel is mainly responsible for the high level of success that has been recorded by various PC makers with the launch of the latest netbook systems on the market. This level of success has certainly made it possible for Intel to seriously consider the future development of the technology and to provide its customers with better and likely more affordable solutions that will be meant for the upcoming netbooks.

 

In a recent update of the company's netbook-based processor roadmap, a new chip has emerged, and it is slated to debut in 2010 and to take advantage of the 32nm process technology.

 

According to a recent UBS Securities report, cited in an article on News.cnet, the Santa Clara, California-based chip maker should debut a new 32nm-based chip platform, codenamed Medfield, in 2010. This product will follow Pineview, which is slated to be released next year and be built on the company's current 45nm manufacturing technology.

 

Specific technical details aren't available at this time, but Medfield is to integrate a processor, memory controller, multimedia functions and I/O (Input/Output) into a single chip. This is a change from Intel's previous products, which used to boast the I/O hub and the memory controller on separate chips. Also, it is believed that Intel's Medfield will be provided in both single-core and dual-core designs, as with the company's current Atom processor that is powering most of the netbooks and nettops on the market.

 

According to the report, the netbook, as a concept, is expected to evolve “from basic web page consumption to multimedia consumption including high-definition (HD) video.” Along with enhanced functionality, future netbooks will provide users with improved battery, capable of delivering close to five hours of life, up from two or three hours on currently available products.