CRN Australia have just posted a report about the Intel Solutions Summit in San Diego. Apparently, Intel said that the UMPC-dedicated CPU is currently under development using a 45nm process (‘Penryn’ architecture) and the first ultra mobile PC device to use it will be available later this year. It doesn’t quite tally with what Intel said last week in Hannover but its not far off.
At CeBIT, Intel announced that the ultra mobile PC processor would be ready for devices in 2008 and that it would enable, when coupled with technology from partners in the ultra mobile PC ecosystem, sub 4-watts UMPCs. No, not sub 4-watt CPU’s, Sub 4-watt UMPCs. About 1/3 of the power of todays UMPCs.
If you look at the 45nm roadmap, it starts with dual-core notebook processors so it makes sense to me that the ultra mobile PC version is simply (!) a single core version of those? This is what I think the 800mhz processor in the Samsung Q1 Ultra is too – Core 2 Solo – A part that has been previously announced at higher clockrates. (Celeron 523, Core 2 Solo U2100 and U2200) DailyTech reports this which I tend to agree with based simply on the current roadmap and gaps in the announced products list.
The Q1 [ultra] offers an 800MHz Core 2-based processor and Intel’s 965 chipset.
The 965 chipset, however, uses the X3000 GPU which is not what we saw/heard about the Q1 Ultra. I heard it was simply an Intel i945 (GMA950.) If you want even more confusing data, read this article at The Register where they say that ‘Steeley’ (originally planned for 2008) is a 65nm part and thus, not the UMPC-specific chip planned for 2008. They also think that the Samsung Q1 Ultra is either running on Tolapai or Core 2 Duo ULV. Tolapai info is here. I wonder if they’ve developed Tolapai into a ULV solution.
Its fun to try and work it all out but it really hurts my head!!! The only thing I can deduce is that Intel are accelerating the program to product Ultra Low Power platforms and VIA could lose one of their big advantages very quickly unless they get a C8-M out quickly.
One other snippet of info before I go and have a cup of tea. DailyTech reports that Samsung want to sell up to 300,000 units this year. That’s similar to what I thought I heard Samsung say in the press conference but I wasn’t 100% sure so I didn’t report it. (I’ll never make a real journalist!!)
