14 DAY TRIAL // Intel Corporation has extended the availability of its Intel Core processor family to ultra-thin laptops such as MacBook Air, by introducing new Intel Core processors today. The company hasn’t actually mentioned Apple as one of its clients. However, the Mac maker is notorious for demanding sealed lips when it comes to its products, while rumors of the MacBook Air getting Core i upgrades have been floating around for a while now.
Intel acknowledges that ultraportable laptops offer the performance, battery life and connectivity consumers need on the go, as they’re less than an inch thick and weigh just two to five pounds. That’s approximately 0.8 to one inch thicker and one to two pounds lighter than traditional laptops, Intel claims. Its new chips include a multitude of new technologies to enhance performance while offering a great battery life, according to an official report issued by the company yesterday. Apple is known to rely on advertising battery life as a huge plus, and Intel’s “32 nanometer” chips are key here.
The processors also use Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology, which intelligently provides an immediate boost when needed for certain software, the company explains. The technology goes hand in hand with Intel HD integrated high-definition graphics, for crystal-clear visuals, vibrant colors and smooth high-definition video and audio playback. Intel Hyper-Threading Technology5 is available only with Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 designs. This provides the responsiveness a computer needs to reduce latency when performing several tasks simultaneously.
Intel’s official report confirmed yesterday that, “More than 40 designs are expected from computer makers such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo and MSI, and will be offered at a variety of price points beginning in June.” Needless to point out, Apple is not mentioned as a client, but the Mac maker still uses the latest Intel chips in all of its laptops. Apple usually wants partners to be discrete about their relationships, up until the point of unveiling the finished product. It will make sense (if only for a final Intel upgrade before Apple goes with another chip vendor) for the MacBook Air to receive these upgrades.