Toshiba Details its First AMD Laptops in 7 Years
207659
Toshiba will release a new range of laptop computers based on processors from AMD.
242901
AMD has expanded its family of low-voltage mobile processors designed to offer high performance, security and mobility for thin and light notebooks.
117802
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has demonstrated the company&#39;s first dual-core microprocessors at its Austin, Texas, office, the company said Tuesday.
421849
SAN JOSE, Calif.âAdvanced Micro Devices Inc. on Tuesday unveiled its dual-core architecture here at In Stat/MDR&#39;s Fall Processor Forum and provided the first estimates of the chip&#39;s performance.
81114
Blog: Toshiba launches a new line of notebooks powered by chips from Advanced Micro Devices, marking the first time in seven years the computer maker has ended its exclusive arrangement with rival chip maker Intel
670529
(InfoWorld) - Ultramobile PCs, the new product category developed by Microsoft, have been unsuccessful so far because they're too expensive and their batteries don't last long enough, a top Advanced Micro DevicesÂ executive said Friday. AMD is exploring the prospects for ultramobile PCs, which includeÂ Samsung Electronics' Q1, but wants to be sure they make sense for users before making a big commitment, said Phil Hester, AMD's chief technology officer, in an interview at Computex. The devices are currently more expensive than many laptop PCs and their batteries don't last very long compared to other devices. They also need new screens that can be viewed outdoors under the glare of the sun, according to Hester. "We have a processor for that space when the space is ready," he said. Most of the big design wins for ultramobile PCs have gone to Intel and Via Technologies, which may help to explain Hester's coolness to the market. Samsung recently announced a new version of the Q1, called the Q1 Ultra, which starts at about $800 and uses Intel's new McCaslin processor. The new Intel chip should improve battery life considerably over the previous model, from 1.5 hours to more than 4 hours, according to Samsung. But AMD has had some design wins too, with itsÂ Geode processors. Raon Digital, a South Korean company, uses the Geode LX800 in its Vega ultramobile PC, and has put an LX900 in its Everun, which hasn't been launched yet. The Vega boasts 6-hours of battery life, while the Everun lasts seven hours on its standard battery, or up to 12 hours with an upgraded battery pack. Besides ultramobiles, the Geode family is aimed at low-end laptop PCs and the high end of the handset market, Hester said. There's a Geode processor in Nicholas Negroponte'sÂ One-Laptop-Per-Child laptop. The OLPC project is trying to reduce the cost of its laptop to $100 and put it in the hands of school children in the developing world. Hester believes the battle to put the next billion people on the Internet is not going to be won by PCs, however. "I really think for most people, the device is going to be the handset," he said. Â
429006
The newly released PC is the company's seventh all-in-one PC.
764387
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA - Executives at Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) painted a much different picture of the chip maker than in recent years during a briefing for analysts and reporters Friday at the company's headquarters in Sunnyvale, California.
179875
(InfoWorld) - Apple introduced a refresh to its line of MacBook Pro laptop computers on Tuesday, raising CPU speeds and memory capacity and improving graphics performance across the line. The new systems can accommodate up to 4GB of RAM and feature CPU speeds of up to 2.4GHz. These new MacBook Pros are the first Apple laptops to feature Intel's Santa Rosa chipset, said Apple vice president of worldwide Mac product marketing David Moody. That's increased the systems' bus speed from 667MHz to 800MHz and also explains why the new MacBook Pros can allocate an extra gigabyte of RAM. The new 15-inch MacBook Pros are also the first Apple laptops to feature mercury-free, LED-backlit displays that Apple CEO Steve Jobs first hinted at in an open letter in May discussing Apple's environmental efforts. "These new displays are more power efficient as well," said Moody. "We've seen battery life extended 30 minutes to an hour." Unlike the CCFL (Cold Cathode Florescent Lamp) technology that powers previous MacBook Pros, LED-backlit displays don't require any "warmup" time to achieve full brightness, said Moody. The 17-inch MacBook Pro's display continues to use CCFL, according to Moody. 1680 x 1050 pixels remains the standard resolution on the 17-inch, but a higher-resolution 1900 x 1200 display is available as a configure-to-order option for an extra $100. "The new display lets video pros work in HD," said Moody. "You can see all 1080 lines of vertical resolution now." These are the first MacBook Pros to use Nvidia graphics processors. Previous models have been equipped with ATI's Mobility Radeon graphics. Inside the new mdoels is Nvidia's GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor. Features offered by the graphics processor include 128-bit High Dynamic Range support and 16x Full Screen Anti-Aliasing support. The chip features Nvidia's new "Lumenex Engine." "Nvidia just introduced this chip a few weeks ago," said Moody. Moody also shared some performance details of the new systems: Compared to Apple's first-generation Intel Core Duo-equipped MacBook Pros, the new systems are up to 50 percent faster working in select graphics applications, 57 percent faster in Quake 4, and 53 percent faster in Doom 3. It's also up to 37 percent faster working in Motion, Apple's pro video motion graphics software. The new models are clocked at either 2.2GHz or 2.4GHz (up from 2.16 or 2.33GHz, respectively) and utilize Intel's Core 2 Duo microprocessors equipped with 4MB of shared Level 2 cache, 800MHz frontside bus, and standard 2GB of 667MHz DDR SDRAM memory. All of the new MacBook Pros also feature 8x dual layer/double layer SuperDrives, built-in iSight cameras, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n wireless networking, ExpressCard/34 expansion, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port and FireWire 400 port, one audio line in, and one headphone out port, each with optical support; scrolling trackpad, and illuminated keyboard; Apple Remote and infrared port; and a DVI connector to attach up to a 30-inch display. The MacBook Pros ship with Mac OS X v10.4.9 and include Apple's standard iLife applications along with Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV, Front Row, and Photo Booth. The new MacBook Pros are now shipping. The base 15-inch model is clocked at 2.2GHz and includes 128MB VRAM and a 120GB hard drive. It's priced at $1,999. The 15-inch is also available at 2.4GHz with 256MB VRAM and a 160GB hard drive for $2,499. The 2.4GHz, 160GB 17-inch model costs $2,799. The higher-resolution display for the 17-inch adds $100 to the price.
303533
SAN JOSE -- As expected, Advanced Micro Devices unveiled its dual-core architecture Tuesday at the Fall Processor Forum, along with its first performance estimates.
715252
AMD delayed the launch of some key chips in 2007, but said it will return to profitability next year.
551948
SAN FRANCISCO - Toshiba Corp.'s new desktop-replacement multimedia notebooks, introduced on Tuesday, are further evidence that U.S. consumers still have yet to embrace the mobility offered by Intel Corp.'s newer mobile processors.
8696
No longer just Intel inside Toshiba is to start shipping laptops with AMD processors, effectively bringing to an end its exclusive partnership with Intel.â¦
338301
Intel is displaying four new ultramobile PCs designed around its Menlow chips at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), including highly anticipated devices from Lenovo and Toshiba.The Lenovo device runs a Linux OS from Chinese developer Red Flag Software and boasts a 4.8-inch touch screen, an onboard camera and other features. It also has what appears to be a phone dialing pad on the right side, but there were no Lenovo personnel around at Intel&#39;s CES booth to talk about the product, nor any spec sheets detailing features of the device.Intel personnel at a booth detailing its&#160;Menlow chips&#160;called the Lenovo device and two others &quot;Mobile Internet Devices,&quot; saying that their smaller screen sizes and use of the Linux OS make them different from ultramobile PCs, a category created by Microsoft. However, many companies have come up with new terms for small, mobile PC designs these days, and the new names given to them are becoming confusing.The devices all work with a wireless broadband Internet protocol called WiMax.Toshiba and Clarion, both Japanese companies, also showed off small handheld PCs with touch screens. The Clarion device runs a Red Flag Linux OS, while Toshiba&#39;s handheld has Microsoft Windows Vista.A portable PC designed by Taiwan&#39;s Gigabyte Technology was also displayed at the booth.Earlier this year, Intel launched the Mobile Internet Device Innovation Alliance in an attempt to solve engineering troubles associated with creating small devices able to connect to the Internet. A number of companies joined the alliance, and several are expected to launch handheld PCs using Menlow microprocessors in the first half of 2008.In October, Intel offered a glimpse of six other devices designed by alliance members and based on Menlow. Five of them were designed by Taiwanese companies: Asustek Computer, BenQ, Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, and Inventec. The final device shown was from Finland&#39;s Elektrobit.Menlow is the code name given to a set of chips that Intel is developing for ultramobile PCs and mobile Internet devices (MIDs), due out next year. Menlow will include a new low-power microprocessor, code-named Silverthorne, and a chip set code-named Poulsbo.One of the key aims of the chip package is to extend battery life in the small PCs now coming out. Many of the ultramobile PCs, Mobile Internet Devices, and other handheld PCs that have launched so far boast hefty price tags of as much as $1000, yet offer little to users that a laptop can&#39;t do better. Relatively short battery life on most of the initial devices and the lack of widespread wireless broadband Internet have also contributed to disappointing sales of the much-hyped gadgets.Companies developing ultramobile PCs and similar small handheld PCs hope longer battery life of six to eight hours, the ability to connect to the Internet wirelessly from just about anywhere, and features found on smartphones such as digital cameras and music players will entice more people to try them out.
93873
(InfoWorld) - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) began selling its top chip for desktop PCs made with a 65-nanometer design on Tuesday, continuing its efforts toÂ keep up with IntelÂ as the industry migrates from 90nm design to a faster, more efficient generation of processors. By manufacturing its dual-core Athlon 64 X2 chip on the smaller geometry, AMD will be able to increase manufacturing output while improving the chips' performance and power efficiency, said Jack Huynh, a market development manager for AMD. Some PC vendors are selling the new chip in computers already, and by the first quarter of 2007 that list will include Acer, Dell, Founder Electronics, Hewlett-Packard, Packard Bell, and Tsinghua Tongfang Co., according to AMD. The move to 65nm manufacturing is crucial for AMD as the company strives to keep up with aÂ flurry of new processors from Intel. Intel had a rough year in 2006, losing ground to AMD in market share, but has rallied in recent months. The companyÂ launched its Core 2 Duo familyÂ of desktop chips in July and itsÂ quad-core Core 2 Extreme in November. Intel switched its chip manufacturing plants to a smaller architecture months ago, and already sells more 65nm chips than 90nm chips. A chip made with 65nm process technology has smaller features -- such as transistors and the wires that connect them -- than a chip made with 90nm technology, said Rob Willoner, a technology analyst with Intel's technology and manufacturing group. That progression is the engine that drives Moore's Law, the prediction that the number of processors on a microprocessor will double every 18 months. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, meaning that the wires on 65nm design chips are far slimmer than human hairs. Minuscule as that is, chip vendors already have plans to shrink the parts even smaller.Â Intel has already announced plansÂ to use chip features of 45nm by 2007, 32nm by 2009 and 22nm by 2011. As chip features continue to shrink, engineers struggle harder to take each new step. But as long as customers demand smaller, more efficient computers, there's plenty of economic incentive for the process to continue, he said. "There's bound to be an end at some point, but we can't see it yet," Willoner said. "At one point, people said it was 1 micron, which is 1,000nm, but the industry passed that without blinking about a decade ago. Now some people are saying it's 5nm. I don't see it happening before 2020 or 2025, and by then we could have radically different technologies to compensate." AMD chose to apply the new "Rev G" 65nm design to its high-end, dual-core desktop chip first because the company's midrange, single-core Athlon and Sempron chips are already fairly efficient, running at 62 watts using a 90nm design, said AMD's Huynh. The Athlon 64 X2 operated at a high 110 watts when it was first launched in June 2005, but this migration will bring it down to just 65 watts, he said. AMD will continue to produce both 90nm and 65nm Athlon 64 X2 chips until it phases the larger-design chips out completely by the second half of 2007. Next, AMD plans to apply the 65nm design to its single-core Athlon and Sempron chips, shrinking them by the end of 2007. And the company has already begun work on the next step, shrinking its chips to a 45nm design, although AMD did not give a specific date for that goal. AMD is selling the 65nm Athlon 64 X2 chips at prices of $301 for a 2.6GHz 5000-series chip, $271 for the 2.5GHz 4800 series, $214 for the 2.3GHz 4400 series, and $169 for the 2.1GHz 4000 series, all priced in lots of 1,000. Â
533532
In response to a BetaNews inquiry over whether last Friday's announcement of new Barcelona server-class processors at frequencies up to 2.0 GHz for August release was as fast as we would see for the year, an AMD spokesperson told us faster models would be made available later in the year.
312986
PC maker launches its first notebook with 17-inch display, more than two years after the first such laptop hit the market.