Devices with batteries that last all day and offer 50% more performance than 2008 devices

Just recently, Intel introduced its 2007 ultra-mobile computing platform. At IDF Beijing, Intel then demonstrated its Menlow platform. Targeted for 2008, Menlow contains a new 64-bit processor with clock frequencies near 2 GHz , DDR2 memory running at 400MHz or 533MHz, solid-state NAND flash memory and discrete graphics processing.

The big kicker for Menlow is its substantial improvement in battery life over available UMPC offerings. Menlow has approximately twice the life of current devices, reaching up to 6 hours of regular use and 10.5 hours of standby.

Before Menlow devices make it to the mainstream, Intel this week announced another major milestone for its ultra-mobile platform. Called Moorestown, Intel revealed that by roughly mid 2009, we will be able to see devices that consume 20 times less power than devices available in 2006. According to Intel roadmaps, Moorestown devices will be able to last a full day's of mixed productivity and leisure activities -- approximately 24 hours.

What sets Moorestown apart from previous processors is the fact that it combines CPU, GPU and memory controller functions into one chip. Essentially, this is the same intention that AMD has with its Fusion program. AMD's Fusion also encompasses mobile devices as well as desktops. It is only a matter of time before we see the same idea from Intel in the desktop space being applied to devices such as thin clients and budget PCs.

Moorestown's CPU will be 50-percent smaller in size than Silverthorne and consume roughly 50-percent less power. Intel will also be making Moorestown available as a single core or dual core system utilizing DDR3 memory. Despite having internal graphics, Intel is expecting that Moorestown will outperform Menlow's graphics by 50-percent.

What remains separate is simply the I/O controller, which too will be significantly small compared to current devices. Otherwise, Moorestown will be just as and more capable than Menlow in terms of features: WiMAX, hardware accelerated 3D such as OGL2.0, HD video decoding and others. Intel did not state whether or not Moorestown will support DX10 graphics and next generation WiMAX technologies.

Intel president and CEO Paul Otellini last said that performance and power consumption are two of the highest priorities for the chip giant going towards 2010. "By the end of the decade we will deliver a 300 percent increase in performance per watt over today's processors," said Otellini.

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