14 DAY TRIAL // Just recently, Santa Clara, California-based NVIDIA released its new integrated graphics, notebook chipset, the MCP79, which had initially been launched with the refreshed lineup of portable computer systems from Apple, the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The graphics company has already expressed its expectations regarding the new notebook product, stating that it hopes to grab about 30% market share from Intel by the end of the year. However, it looks like major systems vendors, which are those that will be integrating the new chipset in some of their upcoming portable systems, aren't as optimistic as NVIDIA on this one.
Taiwanese manufacturer ASUSTek, responsible for the Eee PC netbook lineup and for more than 50 different models of notebook systems, is planning to launch a new 16-inch portable system that will be equipped with NVIDIA's MCP79 chipset. Dubbed F50GX, the upcoming notebook is said to be meant for gaming enthusiasts, as it will be featured with a discrete GeForce 9600M graphics card. In addition to the afore-mentioned upcoming product, the company is also planning more MCP79-equipped models, which will become available by the end of the year or at the beginning of 2009, according to Tony Chen, general manager of ASUSTek's notebook business.
Aside from ASUS, several other systems vendors are said to be planning the release of their own MCP79-based portables systems, counting a total of over 10 different notebook models that should be launched this year, according to Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce products at NVIDIA. Regarding the market potential of NVIDIA's recently introduced chipset product, some notebook vendors believe that the company can achieve approximately 20% market share among Intel-powered notebook systems. That is 10 percent less than what NVIDIA itself has already estimated.
According to Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, the new integrated graphics solution from NVIDIA can deliver up to 5 times the performance of Intel's solution. This feature could allow NVIDIA to claim more market share from Intel in the notebook integrated graphics chipset segment.