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Intel Ultra-Thin Mobile Platform Preview

Intel has announced plans for complete domination of the mobile market using new ultra-low voltage processors, a cool and sexy ultra-thin form factor and the promise to provide consumers with a full PC experience without sacrificing mobility.

We had the opportunity to attend Intel’s global webcast for the launch of the Montevina Plus mobile platform today live from Computex 2009. The host of the event was Nick Knupffer, Intel’s Global Communications Manager and Uday Marty, Director of Product Marketing for the Mobile Platforms Group, was the featured speaker.

Intel used this webcast to launch three new standard volt processors, the Core 2 Duo T9900, P9700 and the P8800 as well as the new ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) Pentium SU2700 and Mobile Intel GS40 Express Chipset. The specifics were light on the new processors announced today but the company did say that the T9900 is a the first mobile Core 2 Duo processor to top the 3GHz mark.

Mr. Marty began the webcast by stating that Intel believes today’s announcements will provide significant improvements across all four vectors of mobility and that each of those will enable a better user experience. According to the data provided by Intel, the mobile market has remained strong throughout 2009 despite the worldwide economic slowdown and the company expects growth in the mobile market to continue through 2013. The current growth in the mobile market is fueled by strong demand for netbooks.

Although the company believes there is a place for netbooks in general, they feel that ultra-thin, affordable notebooks are the way to go and the company is set to deliver just that in a price range from $499 to $1299. While netbooks are good for web browsing and other day to day tasks, Intel says that ultra-thin laptops will provide consumers with a full PC experience without sacrificing mobility. The company stated that 50% of their current customer base are mobile clients and, by 2013, they believe that number will be as high as 70%. With numbers like that, you can see why Intel is trying to capitalize on the market with a line of high powered, ultra-low voltage processors.

The improvements in all four vectors of mobility that Mr. Marty announced today consist of enhancements in processor speed, extended battery life, improved wireless with extended WiMAX coverage and cool, sexy new ultra thin form factors. Yes, he actually said "cool and sexy." Matter of fact, Intel spent much of the webcast beating the "Thin is in" mantra into our heads by reminding us that TVs used to be fat, cell phones were bricks, books are heavy, VHS tapes don’t fit in your pocket and "mobile" computers used to be the size of a large suitcase. By the time Intel went through the list of reasons why smaller version of these devices were better, it was crystal clear that thin is now "in."

Intel’s own research showed that almost ninety percent of laptop owners used their computers at home, while just over ten percent used them on the go. On the other hand, twice as many people used Ultra Portable Devices away from the home when given the opportunity. Laptop owners cited weight as one of the main reasons they did not use their laptop away from the home and that is precisely why Intel is pushing a new ultra-thin form factor for laptops.

Although a great deal of time was spent on the "thin is in" ultra-thin form factor portion of today’s announcement, there was also talk about value, improvements in power consumption and performance. Intel even claims to have over forty companies developing products using the ultra-thin form factor.

Mr. Marty said that all of the processors announced today have better performance-per-watt specs than their predecessors and, as mentioned earlier, mobile Core 2 Duo processors have broken the 3GHz barrier for the first time ever. The higher performance coupled with lower power requirements means that you will be able to enjoy a higher level of performance while maintaining the same level of power consumption as current generation Penryn based systems. The upcoming ULV line-up will have even better battery characteristics than the previously mentioned systems with Intel even stating (several times) that ultra-thin laptops with 8 hour battery life can be expected.

We asked Intel what was the difference between the ATOM processor and the new ULV processors and what impact, if any, they could have on future ATOM development. Mr Marty responded:

"Part of the answer was actually where we compared netbooks with ultra-thin laptops. Atom was a CPU that was purpose-built for internet centric usage models like browsing, learning, communicating, everything a lot of people do today like social networking and those kinds of things. It’s a content consumption device, content is available and ATOM creates the basis for the majority of netbooks today and we will continue to do so.

Our ultra-low voltage processors are intended for our ultra-thin laptop line-up. This is about larger screen sizes, more usability while providing excellent eight hour battery life and providing laptop class functionality.

So this is really about ATOM powering netbooks and our ULV processors powering ultra-thin laptops which is the news today."

Intel also spoke briefly about how the company is continuing to expand the build-out of it My WiFi technology and the rate at which other products are adopting that technology. Also mentioned was the continued expansion of WiMAX and its continued momentum worldwide.

In a nutshell, Intel is championing the ultra-thin laptop cause and is using its considerable bag of tricks to ensure its success. Intel knows the average consumer wants to have their cake and eat it too. The company expects a full twenty percent of the mobile platforms shipped by the end of this year to be new ultra-thin configurations. So, by giving customers ultra-thin laptops that consume less power while providing more performance at a low price, the bottom line is that "ultra-thin" just might be the next big thing.

Intel's official press release:

Today at Computex, Intel Corporation introduced four new processors, including a low-power version and a value chipset, to usher in mainstream "ultra-thin" laptops. Intel® ultra-low voltage (ULV) processors will enable new sleek consumer laptop designs less than an inch thick, weighing 2 to 5 pounds, and at mainstream price points. These processors also consume less power to enable longer battery life, delivering the type of experience consumers expect from Intel-based laptops. In addition, Intel also announced the addition of new devices that can now wirelessly connect using optional Intel® My WiFi Technology.

"With an ultra-thin laptop powered by Intel® ultra-low voltage processors, consumers experience a unique balance of performance and power consumption that is incomparable in the market today – all in a slim, sleek package," said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the Mobile Platforms Group at Intel. "And at mainstream price points, Intel is proud to deliver ultra thin for all."

Intel extends its leadership on the standard voltage (SV) Intel® Core 2 Duo processors, with offerings up to 3.06 GHz. These energy-efficient processors deliver breakthrough mobile performance and responsiveness for demanding business users and consumers. Users will see improved performance when running multiple, intense applications simultaneously, as well as dual-core optimized applications.

In addition, Intel unveiled the Mobile Intel® GS40 Express Chipset for the new ULV-based laptops. This value chipset enables ULV-based laptops to support features consumers have come to expect from laptops including HD playback, Windows® Vista™ Premium support and native support for integrated HDMI.

Consumers have choice when it comes to their wireless options by adding embedded WiMAX or Intel® My WiFi Technology to their laptops. Using Intel My WiFi Technology, more devices can now wirelessly connect to Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology laptops. My WiFi Technology transforms a laptop into a WiFi personal area network, connecting directly with up to eight WiFi certified devices without cables or wires, including cameras, printers, HDTV and MP3 players, to print, share, show and sync wirelessly at home or on the go. With high-speed broadband WiMAX networks rolling out in new cities around the world, embedded WiMAX is also an option for users, putting consumers on the forefront of 4G wireless with an entire city as their own hotspot.

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