“The chip giant has created a new business unit that it calls the netbook and tablet group,” Vance reports. “The unit will be run by Douglas L. Davis, the current head of Intel’s embedded and communications group, who will be charged with making sure Intel can fend off all kinds of competition in the burgeoning market for PC offshoots.”
“Intel often formally announces the formation of such groups but kept this one quiet for some reason. Still, Bill Kircos, a company spokesman, confirmed the move,” Vance reports. “A certain amount of symbolism accompanies the formation of this group because Intel is one of the companies most associated with the rise of the classic PC.”
Vance reports, “Tablets are more challenging for Intel. Apple’s iPad has proved the dominant device in this category and it runs on Apple’s own ARM chip, the A4. A number of companies designing tablets have eyed ARM chips as lower-power, lower-cost alternatives to Intel’s Atom chip that can still provide enough computing oomph to keep people happy.”
Full article here.
Intel Who ???
seems like intel DOES count iPads as mobile PCs. I just wonder, now, what was the Atom processor line then? seems like they need some internal shuffeling because they need to hide that the netbook business is collapsing…
If it was not for Apple, how can the PC market or Intel ever to focus? They seem way off mark until Apple put it in the bullseye.
Who said Apple needed completion? Seems they are doing quite B-Slapping the top tech companies.
Intel: yesterday’s Atomic tech stuffed in a beige box weighted down by cement lying at the bottom of the ocean.
Maybe this is good for Apple. Intel can be creative when they put their mind to it. Maybe they’ll make a chip that rivals the A4 and be able to sell it to Apple. The atom processor wasn’t what Apple wanted but maybe they can make what Apple does want.
“who will be charged with making sure Intel can fend off all kinds of competition”
Netbooks have been with us for a long while now and only now they create a group to fend off!!??? Give us all a big break!!
One usually tries to make sure before things happen; with the Apple A4 and millions of mobile devices like iPods and iPads and iPhones already out there, Intel is way late to the party. What do you want to make sure of? Competition? Intel would be the newcomer! Give us another break!
If they did not or could not create a power efficient chip for tablets when they were requested (given the opportunity) to create one, why will they be able to create one now and even create tablets?? Copying?? Oh yeah now they can copy I guess.
In tech either you lead or you will be catching up… always; always.
Give me another break!
It boggles the mind how Intel and MS waited and wasted a decade, futzing around with underpowered, overpriced, battery-sucking chips and OSes, too worried about backward compatibility and their desktop monopoly to see the horizon.
Meanwhile, in the same decade, working through multiple chip architectures and a massive OS switch, Apple (together with ARM) completely skip over backwards compatibility and catch them with their pants down.
Intel and MS are so pawned in the mobile space, it’s kind of pathetic. Run tell that. Homeboy.
Apple are committed to the Arm based chips now (or whatever they develop into) there is no chance that they will dump that to go for an Intel designed chip with Intel dictated costs. Intel had their chance and blew it, the Atom at the end of the day has all the concrete embedded legacy of the traditional Intel desktop design that so bogs down that sector. The only question is whether as IOS develops it will move more and more into Intel territory. Long term I think you can bet on it as the new operating system simply absorbs its older cousin.
@praus, you don’t think Intel has been trying?!?
“Intel often formally announces the formation of such groups but kept this one quiet for some reason…”
That reason is Steve Jobs. Duh.
If Intel is going after Apple’s A4 chip, does that free up Apple to use AMD processors in future products?
The A4 in the future will grow into a chip that can be used in a Laptop or a desktop unit, the power-battery life qualities are to good to pass up.
This is a very good news for consumers. There will be even stronger competition in the handheld space in the future. Intel will bring their advanced process and packaging technologies. No matter who is the winner this will result in better processors for the smar phones and tablets. Apple is driving the innovation in this space and will always pick the best components.
With Intel into the competition it looks unlikely to me that Apple will try to go back into chip production business. There will be enough energy in this space and no need for Apple to invest there. Apple can focuss on what they do best.
“The A4 in the future will grow into a chip that can be used in a Laptop or a desktop unit, the power-battery life qualities are to good to pass up.”
I think that is exactly right. And it’s green.
kill ’em apple!! kill ’em!!!
down with evil intel!!! 😀