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Intel rolls out Performance Enhanced mobile chips
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INTERACTIVE:
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January 26, 1999 by Dan Briody and Ephraim Schwartz |
From...
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BURLINGAME, Calif. (IDG) -- Intel introduced six new mobile chips this week, two based on the concept of the Celeron with less cache and lower cost to system OEMs. The other four Pentium II processors are being designated Performance Enhanced (PE) because their newly integrated Level 2 cache provides an added speed boost, Intel officials said.
The PE Pentium II processors include 266-MHz, 300-MHz, 333-MHz, and 366-MHz versions.
PE Pentium II have 256KB integrated or on-die Level 2 cache, as opposed to the 512KB Level 2 cache on regular Pentium IIs, which is external to the processor package. The on-die cache is able to perform at the same speed as the processor; external cache runs at half the speed.
An Intel representative said that 256KB of on-die cache will outperform 512KB external cache by about 5 percent.
The wave of mobile chips speaks to Intel's serious commitment to the mobile market.
"We think that the difference in total cost of ownership of notebooks vs. desktops is far offset by the added productivity of a mobile user," said Bob Jecmen, vice president and general manager of the mobile and handheld products group at Intel, in Santa Clara, Calif.
Jecmen added that over the next few years, Intel's 65,000-employee workforce would become more than 80 percent mobile.
Forthcoming innovations in the mobile space from Intel include the .18 micron technology, which will allow for higher performance and lower battery consumption, expected in the middle of this year. Also expected this year is the mobile Pentium III, which will replace the Pentium II.
As expected Monday, a chorus of notebook vendors revved up their products with Intel's new chips. However, at the same time, several OEMs preached the virtues of stable and consistent platforms.
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New notebooks from Compaq, Toshiba, and Dell, based on 366-MHz Pentium II processors, are intended to make the PC qualification process easier for IT administrators.
"These are the kinds of solutions we've been asking for years," said one IT manager at a Fortune 500 company. "Speed is great, but we need consistency more than anything."
Compaq Computer has responded with a promise of a consistent platform through the first half of this year, and minimal to no changes in the software image of its Armada 7000, 6500, and 3500 lines.
Although the PC giant is refreshing its 7800, 7400, 3500, and 1700 lines with the faster Pentium IIs, it will maintain the current configuration of the 6500 line, with a 300-MHz Pentium II processor and a 6.4GB hard drive.
Toshiba America Information Systems on Monday chimed in with refreshes of its Satellite brand, geared for small and midsize businesses. The Satellite 4080XCDT, with a 366-MHz Pentium II processor, a 6.4GB hard drive, and a 14.1-inch monitor, will be priced at $3,199.
"Our customers have told us to stop the madness," said Chris Pollitt, group manager of Toshiba's portable product marketing division. "Sure we want the latest chips, but we [also want] stability. We need a platform we can qualify once and deploy over the next year or longer."
Dell Computer refreshed its Latitude line with a 366-MHz Pentium II processor, 64MB of RAM, a 13.3-inch monitor, a 4.3GB hard drive, and a 24X CD-ROM, priced at $2,999.
Hewlett-Packard chimed in as well, adding the new Pentium II 366-MHz chips to its OmniBook 4150 and recently announced 900 lines. The OmniBook 4150 will include a 10.lGB hard drive, 128MB of Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), and a 14.1-inch display, priced starting at $4,999. The four-pound OmniBook 900 will come with a 6.4GB hard drive, 32MB of SDRAM, and a 12.1-inch display, priced at $3,399.
Also Monday, NEC announced a thin-and-light Versa SX based on the 366-MHz chip, in addition to a Celeron-based system.
Gateway also announced new products Monday. The 300-MHz Intel Celeron chip will be incorporated into Gateway's Solo 2500, replacing the 233-MHz Pentium. The Solo 2500 will also include a 12.1-inch active matrix display, a 2GB hard drive, floppy and CD/ROM drives, and a V.90 modem, priced starting at $1,699.
Solos will also use the new PE Pentium IIs at all performance levels, priced starting at $2,499, with a 13.3-inch active matrix display and a digital video disc drive.