Intel Introduces Next Generation UMPC, MID Platforms

Intel has showed the upcoming Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) and Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform, codenamed “Menlow“, during its Developer Forum 2007 in San Francisco. The new platform is scheduled for launch in the first half 2008 and is comprised of the “Silverthorne” 45-nanometer processor and the “Poulsbo” chipset, which is based on a single-chip design.

“The ‘Menlow’ platform will deliver great performance at low power and could fit in a 74mm x 143mm sized motherboard, thus enabling a full Internet experience while enabling form factors that are small enough to fit in your pocket,” the company’s press release says.

According to Intel, “Silverthorne” processor consumes 10 times lower power compared to today’s lower-power processors.

Intel also unveiled some details on its next generation “Moorestown” platform for UMPCs and MIDs. The “Moorestown” consists of a System on Chip (SOC) and a Communications Hub.

“The SOC integrates the CPU, graphics, video, and memory controller to a single chip and brings the 45nm process benefits to the complex. The Communications Hub provides I/O capabilities for storage, features, and wireless integration and the architecture allows for ultra low power operation,” the chip maker says.

Intel’s representative announced that the idle power for a “Moorestown”-based MID platform will be 10x lower compared to a “Menlow”-based platform.

It has not been officially announced when the “Moorestown” will be launched, but it is expected to arrive in 2009.

[...] The “Menlow” is designed for use in UMPCs and MIDs and consists of a new 45-nanometer processor codenamed “Silverthorne” and the “Poulsbo” chipset. This platform is scheduled for release in the first half of 2008. [...]

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