Taiwan&#39;s VIA Joins 64-bit Chip Fray
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After watching nearly every other semiconductor manufacturer produce their x86 64-bit chips, VIA Technologies has come to the table.
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Details are expected on Tukwila, the next-generation 64-bit quad-core CPU, at a chip conference this week.
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(InfoWorld) - Earlier this year, members of Chinese and Taiwanese IT associations announced broad plans to work together to jointly develop and promote Linux as well as home-grown standards for certain IT components. The idea is to match Taiwanâs technology prowess with Chinaâs huge number of users as a base for a global Linux putsch, and to create new standards to compete with global initiatives from Blu-ray to CDMA (Code Division Mutliple Access). At an IT trade show in Shanghai, IDG News Service (IDGNS) caught up with Roger Liao, deputy director of international affairs at one of Taiwanâs biggest industry groups, the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturersâ Association (TEEMA), to discuss progress on both fronts, in addition to other IT developments in China. IDG News Service: How is work on Linux progressing? Whatâs popular and whatâs not in Taiwan and China? Liao: It really depends on what kind of product youâre talking about. For example, China really wants to promote Linux as an OS, because itâs more stable. But Microsoft is by far the more popular OS here because people are used to it and it has a larger market share. Microsoftâs recent deal with Novell is another aspect thatâs very interesting, but itâs too early to say how that will affect Linux development and usage in China. Linux is still mostly used in servers and as embedded software in China and Taiwan. A number of Taiwanese companies have opened Linux development centers in China for embedded software development. Although Chinese engineers are less experienced, they are not expensive to hire, and they learn quickly. Even we (TEEMA) use Chinese engineers for all of our software needs, but thatâs mostly our Web site and e-commerce platform. IDGNS: What about the development of new technology standards? Weâve heard a lot about meetings between Taiwanese and Chinese IT associations to create new global technology standards. Whatâs been accomplished so far? Liao: Thereâs not a lot going on so far, just a lot of talking. Developing standards is very difficult, itâs actually a very political issue. Itâs something we (Taiwan-China) always talk about â we even held discussions at the recent APEC meeting (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Hanoi, Nov. 18,19) â but nothing concrete has come from these discussions. Most of our members are manufacturers, contract manufacturers, so they normally wait and see what standard wins out, and then embrace the winner. Thatâs the way itâs been for years, and I donât see it changing anytime soon. IDGNS: Speaking of manufacturing, is the growth of China really hurting Taiwanese manufacturers? Liao: A lot of Taiwanese companies are already using China as a manufacturing base, so theyâre taking advantage of the low costs. But the other issue is quality. Even Chinese companies that are making components on their own, well their quality isnât as good as Taiwan. There are also more risks in doing business with China. Chinese companies will always say âcan doâ even if they canât, which is a problem if your business depends on their delivery. So overall, it may be less expensive on the surface, but other problems such as low quality and business risk in China can increase expenses over the long run, and then it doesnât seem so cheap anymore. Taiwan has been involved in international business for years, particularly in IT. China is rather new to the game, and they still have a lot to learn. Taiwan is actually the best partner for foreigners to approach using China as a manufacturing base and as a market. Japanese companies tend to prefer partnering with Taiwanese companies when entering China. They take advantage of Taiwanâs long experience in China as well as better communication skills (Mandarin is spoken in both Taiwan and China). Itâs more difficult for Japanese companies to do it on their own, the costs are much higher. They definitely can do it, but there is a learning curve and itâs expensive to climb. Taiwan still has a big advantage in know-how, the knowledge of the local people, the education, and the experience with international business practices and standards. (Liao was in Shanghai for a major electronics trade show in China, a three-in-one combo; the China Electronics Fair (CEF Shanghai 2006), Asia Electronics Exhibition in Shanghai (AAES 2006), and the 2006 International Electronics Expo (IEE Shanghai 2006).ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.
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With its new low-voltage Athlon 64 3000+ processor, &quot;AMD is essentially going up against the Centrino in the low-end processing market, where 64-bit technology is not that significant,&quot; says Illuminata analyst Gordon Haff.
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Taiwanese chip assembler Advanced Semiconductor EngineeringÂ (ASE) plans to invest $60 million in a low-end chip assembly company based in China.
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Extended collaboration could result in chips built on 32-nanometer technology.
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PC Magazine - Via is shipping a Linux-friendly x86-compatible desktop processor, accompanied by a "Clean Computing Initiative" aimed at offsetting the chip's environmental cost. The C7-D clocks at 1.5GHz or 1.8GHz, and is shipping in an RoHS-compliant 21mm-square package.
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Running 32-bit and 64-bit applications on the same system is a step closer to reality.
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(InfoWorld) - Taiwan's Via TechnologiesÂ has a knack for making motherboards smaller, and its latest design pushes the boundary of what's possible further than ever before. Called Mobile ITX, the new motherboard measures 7.5 centimeters by 4.5 cm -- roughly the same size as a namecard -- and includes all of the components required by a computer, including a Via C7 processor, a chip set with integrated graphics and video capabilities, and memory. The new motherboard design, which should hit markets next year, will make possible a range of small, powerful computers, such as "super smartphones," said Richard Brown, Via's president of corporate marketing, in an interview. Key to the motherboard's success is theÂ C7 processor. Brown didn't specify which version the board will use, but said the chip consumes 0.25 watts of power or less when running. "And that's not when the system is idling," he said. Via CEO Wenchi Chen plans to announce the new motherboard design on Wednesday at the Computex exhibition in Taipei. While Via is much smaller than Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, the company has a proven ability to spot where industry trends are headed before larger companies catch on. For example, Via was pushing the idea of low-power computing, and performance per watt as an important measure, at a time when Intel and AMD were still focused on clock speeds. In the motherboard space, Via was the developer ofÂ Mini-ITX, a small form factor that measures 17 cm by 17 cm. In recent years, Mini-ITX has become an informal standard. Boards based on the same dimensions are now used with chips from AMD and Intel.
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Chip manufacturer VIA Technologies on Tuesday announced the launch of VIA K8T890 series chipsets to support the new AMD Athlon processors for personal computers.
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Intel will invest $65 million in Taiwanese chip assembler that specializes in flash memory and DRAM.
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It wasn&#39;t the first to go small, and it won&#39;t be the biggest producer, but AMD&#39;s (Quote, Chart) 64-bit 90-nanometer (nm) chips are expected to make waves in the semiconductor pool.
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Refines upgrade path VMware has embraced the world of 64-bit computing via a pair of point releases to its flagship products.â¦
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Latest Athlon 64 processors feature advanced manufacturing technology.
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IBM later this month will begin shipping the second generation of its two-way server powered by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.&#39;s 64-bit Opteron processor.
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Set-top box that works with Viiv-compliant PCs on the way, but hurdles remain on the chipmaker's path to digital living room.
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Via's new processor is intended for use in mobile devices and embedded applications.