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Is desktop doomed?


Beijing, China, 18 Apr 2007

It is no secret that personal computing is quickly becoming increasingly mobile. Intel's senior VP and mobility group GM David Perlmutter says cross-over will be as soon as 2011, when at least 200 million notebook units will be sold globally.

Speaking at the Intel Developers Forum, in Beijing, China, Perlmutter said a mutually reinforcing trend is seeing more users choose notebooks for their mobility and convenience, which in turn encourages manufacturers to produce more powerful platforms for a ready market.

The latest Intel generation notebooks will hit the market next month, in the form of a high-end product code-named "Santa Rosa".

Santa Rosa is built around Intel's next-generation Core 2 Duo processor, the Mobile Intel 965 Express chipset, Next-Gen Wireless-N network connection, 82566MM and 82566MC gigabit Network Connection and an optional turbo memory, Perlmutter noted.

Santa Rosa will be refreshed with the 45nm "Penryn" Hi-k Intel dual core mobile processor early next year and will be replaced in the front-line later in 2008 by the Penryn-driven "Montevina". This will be Intel's first Centrino notebook to offer the option of integrated WiFi and WiMax wireless technologies for greater wireless broadband access.

With components approximately 40% smaller than is currently the case, Perlmuter believes Montevina will be ideal for mini- and sub-notebooks. Montevina will include an integrated hardware decode for high-definition video.

WiMax will deliver the "true mobile Internet and make broadband personal", said Perlmutter. He noted the absence of the right technology, not an absence of desire, was the reason the world had 2.7 billion mobile computer users, but only 35 million mobile Internet surfers.

He added that 1.1 billion people surf the Internet on desktops, many of whom will be glad to hear improved performance and less power usage will soon allow batteries to last up to eight hours.

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