Intel took the opportunity at Computex in Taipei to unveil its most recent processor roadmap today. The big news? It’s created a new category of thin, lightweight computers which it’s dubbed “Ultrabooks”, which it claims will account for 40 per cent of personal laptops by the end of 2012. Big call.
The Ultrabooks are destined to be less than 2cm thick and have retail prices starting at under $US1,000 (so under $1,200 AUD, then?) and will be powered by the current and next generation of the Core processors, Sandy Bridge and the upcoming Ivy Bridge.
With Ivy Bridge processors set to launch early next year, Intel is releasing its first 22nm chip that will be complimentary with both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connectivity.
Intel also announced at Computex that it is smashing Moore’s Law out of the park when it comes to its Atom processor, which will move from 32nm to 22nm to 14nm within three successive years, making more powerful and efficient processors and boosting battery life in all Atom-based devices. That includes the Google Honeycomb tablet that was shown off during the event, as well as a whole raft of tablet and smartphone devices that will be powered by the “Medfield” chip.
In other words, smaller, faster, lighter and cheaper is the essence of it. Who could possibly complain about that?
[Intel]
scross
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 4:28 PMDid mac try to do this a little while ago and it totally failed?
Adam
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 4:44 PMNope
Nick
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 4:33 PMWell, it’s a better attempt than their iMac clone: http://tiny.cc/zrvwr :3
Ross Weekes
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 4:55 PMSuch Mac fans.. I think if you look you will see “Asus” on that picture – not Intel..
You know that Intel chips are in macs right? :|
Nick
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 6:51 PMOh, I was talking about Asus’ new thin Netbook, as seen in the article picture. Stay calm, Ross. :)
mattt
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 12:13 AMThat ‘netbook’ is the ux21, sporting an i7 processor.
brant
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 6:32 PMYep all all-in-one pcs are TOTALLY mac clones.
Stupid mac fans
yrrnn
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 8:47 PMThey are when they’ve been designed to look the same as their Mac counterparts, yes.
Sam
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 4:40 PMThins nice and all, but the real question is – Can I use it on my lap without burning the hairs off my thighs?
matt
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 5:10 PM… you can if you wear pants…
…
Lillee
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 5:13 PMOr from that picture, shaving them clean off from that razor sharp edge!
Sam
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 4:43 PMUltrabooks, really? Ugh.
note
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 5:10 PMIs it only me who thought that the above laptop looked like MacBook Air?
TSH
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 5:31 PMiLawsuit incoming!
ozoneocean
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 10:54 PMIt looks like a thin comp with metal on the outside… there are only so many configs you can do with a comp, they all look the same really, and no one has a patent on thinness or metal. And you have to remember that the Air, like the ipad were both made as late catchups in response to the net-book phenomenon that Asus pioneered.
What I love most here is that it seems to have metal faced keys- probably not, but it looks that way at least.
chris
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 8:41 PMnope, its got 2 mouse buttons :)
Nodeity
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 6:05 PMNever mind all the mac nonsense,.. when will these new more powerful laptops actually get here? I’m considering buying a touch screen in a month or so, should I wait! or go ahead and buy it anyway cos it doesn’t matter what you buy it will be outdated in six months anyway… :\
Seamus Byrne
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 7:48 PMi think you should buy something that is cheap enough you’ll be happy to pay for a spanking new one in 18 months time…
Bloggo
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 8:10 PMI don’t care how powerful this thing is as long as I get more that two and a half hours battery life out of it. Intel might make the best chips ever but silly manufacturers will still build terrible machines around them
BenDTU
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 9:43 PMSo 40% of consumer laptops will be a the already faltering netbooks, based on the fact they’ll be better in the future and have a different name now?
Right.