AMD Introduces Turion Brand of Mobile PC Chips
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Advanced Micro Devices Inc.  AMD.N on Thursday introduced its Turion brand of notebook  computer chips, a name it hopes will evoke the open road as the  company aims to make headway in a market where it lags.
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Advanced Micro Devices on Monday provided further details about its&#160;next-generation Puma platform&#160;for notebook PCs, which is designed to maximize battery life while meeting the heavy graphics performance demanded by the Windows Vista OS.The Puma platform will come with processors named Turion Ultra, originally&#160;codenamed Griffin, and include Hybrid Graphics Technology, which boosts the platform&#39;s graphics performance by running both the integrated graphics processor and discrete graphics together.Discrete graphics cards, which are usually plugged into a slot on the motherboard, usually provide more video memory and graphics processing power than integrated graphics processors, which are included on a system&#39;s motherboard.The platform will include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 discrete graphics card, which is specially designed to work with an integrated graphics card to either crunch extreme graphics or to get better system performance-per-watt, said Scott Shutter, mobile division brand manager at AMD.AMD will also launch ATI PowerXpress for the Puma platform, which allows users to switch between integrated and discrete graphics dynamically without rebooting their notebook. This allows the discrete graphics card to be used for graphics intensive applications when under AC power, and the integrated graphics to be used for extended battery life when on the go, said Bahr Mahony, division marketing manager with AMD&#39;s mobile processor group.The platform will fully support DirectX 10.1, Microsoft&#39;s 3D graphics platform.The hybrid graphics capabilities will ship with notebooks based on the Puma platform in the middle of this year, Shutter said. Though intended to be a centerpiece of the Puma platform, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 graphics card is already separately shipping with Asus systems, according to AMD. Pricing information was not available.A future Puma platform capability will include support for ATI Hybrid Graphics Technology with ATI PowerXpress, allowing users to switch between an integrated graphics card and a discrete graphics card based on a system&#39;s multimedia requirement. AMD will launch this technology toward the end of the year.The combination of the CPU and graphics processing unit capabilities in the Puma platform is one more step towards achieving Fusion, a platform that merges a CPU and graphics processing unit on a single piece of silicon, Shutter said. The Fusion platform is aimed for release in 2009. The company last year launched the &#39;Spider&#39; platform, which combines the company&#39;s Phenom quad-core process, graphics cards and chipsets in one package.Notebooks based on the Puma platform will be able to handle high-definition HD DVD and Blu-ray movie playback through its Avivo HD technology, which offloads the processing of high-definition data decoding from the CPU to the graphics processing unit, Shutter said. The low CPU utilization allows a notebook to perform better.The CPU has 2M bytes of on-board cache, an upgrade from earlier Turion Rev G processors, which had 1M byte of cache, Shutter said. The system also throttles down bandwidth between cores based on system usage and performance to increase a notebook&#39;s battery life.Boot times and program launch times in Puma notebooks will improve with on-board flash technology called HyperFlash, Shutter said. The flash technology will store important bits of information needed to boot a system quicker, reducing lag time usually associated with reading data from hard drives. It will be available on the board, or as a separate modules for motherboards.Shutter didn&#39;t reveal further details about Turion Ultra&#39;s initial clock speeds.
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Computers with AMD&#39;s Opteron processor will soon be able to take advantage of the same power management technology the company has already built into its laptop and desktop microchips.
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(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
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Taiwan&#39;s BenQ is showing off a new user interface on an ultramobile PC that it plans to start marketing in the second quarter of this year, a spokeswoman for the company said Tuesday.The device is being displayed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as part of BenQ&#39;s new mobile offerings. It was first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year.BenQ has taken on the new moniker coined by Intel, &#39;mobile Internet device (MID)&#39; for its new gadget, a name that appears to be replacing the term &#39;ultramobile PC.&#39; Ultramobiles have so far not fared well in global markets, despite a much hyped launch and&#160;backing by heavyweights such as Microsoft and Intel.BenQ&#39;s MID sports a Linux OS, but the company tweaked the user interface to work more closely with its functions. Although full details have not yet been released, the company has said the MID is equipped for wireless Internet use via Wi-Fi, or with 3G (third generation telecommunications) networks, which also enable voice phone calls.The Linux OS was developed by China&#39;s Red Flag, but BenQ customized the interface to make its MID unique, said Jean Hsu, a BenQ representative.The MID also features a 4.8-inch touch screen, 0.3-megapixel Web cam, and on board sensors that minimize and pop up all open Windows when you shake the device, instead of making you touch each tab individually.BenQ&#39;s MID uses Intel&#39;s Menlow set of chips, which includes a low-power microprocessor code-named Silverthorne and a chipset codenamed Poulsbo. Intel designed Menlow for ultramobile devices.Companies are developing ultramobile PCs and MIDs in a bid to attract users to device slightly smaller than notebook PCs, but with full PC functionality. Some analysts see the devices as the PC industry&#39;s answer to smartphones, but point out that many ultramobiles do not include telecommunications functions. BenQ&#39;s new MID does include telecommunications capabilities with its 3G support.
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The new Mobile AMD Athlon 64 processor 3000+ operates at 2GHz and is meant for use in thin and lightweight notebook computers. It is the highest performing processor in AMD&#39;s family of low-power Mobile AMD
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A few more details emerge about the three energy-efficient Turion-powered notebooks.
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(InfoWorld) - A little more detail is known about theÂ new laptops from ToshibaÂ that will use processors from Advanced Micro Devices. Toshiba will launch three laptops in its Satellite range in North America based on AMD's Turion 64 X2 dual-core chip and M690 chip set, AMD said on Wednesday. Toshiba, which confirmed plans on Tuesday for AMD machines but offered no details, said Wednesday that the computers will be available in the third quarter. TheÂ M690 chip set has just been launchedÂ by AMD and will, according to the company, help reduce power consumption and lead to a 25 percent increase in battery life compared to the previous-generation AMD platform. The Japanese PC maker, which ranked fourth in the laptop market in the first quarter of this year, hasn't used AMD chips in laptops since 2000. In anÂ antitrust lawsuit filed against processor-rival IntelÂ in 2005, AMD alleged that Toshiba stopped using its chips after receiving a "very substantial" payment from Intel. Toshiba was receiving "market development funds" from Intel worth about $25 million to $30 million per quarter and those would be jeopardized if it used AMD chips, the lawsuit alleged. AMD is stepping up pressure against Intel in the laptop market and recently disclosed plans to launch a new laptop platform called Puma in 2008. Puma is AMD's answer to Intel'sÂ recently launched Santa RosaÂ laptop platform. The two companies are locked in competition at the bottom-end of the laptop market too. AMD scored the contract to supply chips for One Laptop Per Child's "$100 laptop" after which Intel introduced its own machine for emerging markets, the Classmate PC. Â
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Chipmaker announces new chipset and reference design for consumer devices and PCs.
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According to AMD, the Mobile AMD Athlon 64 processor 3000+ is the first processor manufactured with AMD&#39;s 90-nanometer technique, a semiconductor process designed to enable higher performance without increased power consumption.
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Advanced Micro Devices Inc.   on Monday launched a line of computer processors that  use less power, saying its adoption of new manufacturing  techniques will help it compete with rival Intel Corp.
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Underscoring its commitment to delivering the right products at the  right time, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced desktop processors designed  for users seeking the ultimate in energy-conscious or high-performance  computing.
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(InfoWorld) - Advanced Micro DevicesÂ has announced three new discrete media chips to respond to growing demand for advanced multimedia features in mobile phones. The AMD Imageon 2298, 2294 and 2192 processors, unveiled Monday at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, are designed with a number of media-rich features, including processing of images up to 12 megapixels, image stabilization, and multichannel audio playback. AMD will be licensing the technology to other chip manufacturers, including STMicroelectronics, according to AMD marketing director Andy Thompson. The media processor is separate from the phone's core processor, enabling manufacturers to introduce new multimedia functions more quickly, according to Thompson. The separate architecture also helps reduce power consumption for longer device battery life. The new media chips will support full DVD resolutions or "five times what was available in earlier generations," said AMD product manager Philippe Decotignie. "Consumers can turn their phones into camcoders and mobile TVs with a very high, very fast resolution," he said. In addition, the chips will support simultaneous audio and video encoding and decoding, acoustic echo cancellation and video stabilization. Their TV output function allows viewing of videos and photos on any TV or projector. Several handset manufacturers are currently testing the new media chips. AMD has supplied earlier-generation media chips to a number of mobile phone makers, including Motorola and Samsung Electronics. The 3GSM World Congress runs through Thursday.
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(InfoWorld) - With much of the growth in the mobile phone market expected to come from emerging markets, Texas InstrumentsÂ (TI) has stepped up development of advanced processors designed for low-cost handsets. On Monday atÂ the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, TI announced two new ultra-low-cost single-chip processors as well as extensions to its family of advanced multimedia processors that deliver high-end graphics, high-definition video, and mobile TV. "We expect about 4 billion [mobile phone] subscribers by 2010," said Rich Templeton, CEO and president of TI, at a news conference. "Emerging markets will be the big driver." One of the single-chip processors will offer GPRS, an MP3 player, USB 2.0 and a slot for mass storage cards, such as SD (secure digital) and MMC (multimedia card). Among the extensions to the OMAP family of advanced multimedia processors is a product that will support a 5-megapixel camera and VGA video playback features. For high-end handsets, TI has developed a multimedia processor, OMAP 3430, that uses "smart pixel" technology by which each pixel or triangle is programmed individually. Asked about a recent comment by Ed Zander, CEO and chairman of Motorola, that selling low-cost handsets has been good for the company's sales but not necessarily for its bottom line, Templeton argued that manufacturers shouldn't underestimate the power of branding when selling mobile phones to first-time users. "It is a major strategic mistake not to look at this market," he said.
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'Yokohama' = 'Yamoto' + ATI - Nvidia AMD and ATI are to launch a notebook platform next quarter, it has been claimed. The move appears to build on AMD's past portable-platform development efforts, in particular 'Yamoto', it's attempt to devise a set of specifications based on its CPUs not unlike Intel's Centrino.â¦
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HDMI, DisplayPort, UVD to be added to laptop chipsets Mobile Roadmap AMD's roadmap for its notebook-oriented has taken a decidedly avian turn as the chip maker gears up to battle Intel's Centrino, a plan that will see it support Flash-fitted hybrid hard drives, 802.11n Wi-Fi, HyperTransport 3 and DirectX 10.â¦
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The new Mobile AMD Athlon 64 processor 3000+ for thin and light notebooks enables a powerful 32-bit computing experience today with a seamless transition to 64-bit computing.