Demand for Intel's Atom already outstripping supply?

There's a ton of upcoming laptops and devices based around Intel's Atom processor, and it looks like all the early interest is causing that best of all possible problems for the chipmaker: it's gotten too many orders. Intel told the WSJ that it's planning on producing "millions" of Atom chips this year, but that it's "seeing better-than-expected demand" as production begins and that it's "we are working quickly to address it." Still, it looks like manufacturers are expecting a shortage to last for a while -- ASUS predicted that supply would be constrained until the third quarter during its quarterly conference call, for example -- and various Chinese trade publications have reported the same. That's definitely not encouraging news, and with AMD's Puma and VIA's Isaiah nipping at Atom's heels, Intel might want to kick things into a higher gear.

[therpham @ May 1st 2008 12:08AM]

I can't wait to see some actual benchmarks on this thing - everything I've been able to find about it has been based on prototypes and tests skewed in its favour.

The Microprocessor Report has turned me into a fiend for processor data.

[tekdroid @ May 1st 2008 12:35AM]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/18/preliminary-benchmarks-have-vias-isaiah-besting-intels-atom/

[Aguiluz @ May 1st 2008 12:08AM]

Don't make a promise you can't keep.

[stefan @ May 1st 2008 4:12AM]

especially since we've already seen long waits for penryn.

[JohnTitor @ May 1st 2008 12:30AM]

ugh, Isaiah is gonna be faster but everyone wants the Atom, why not just call it the iAtom and stick an apple on it

[Tom Oliveri @ May 1st 2008 12:40AM]

dude change your avatar, not cool

[w00t @ May 1st 2008 12:54AM]

Could say the same about yours, Tom! :)

[Tom Oliveri @ May 1st 2008 12:51AM]

I really would be against buying a 'atom' processor

intel has NO experience in ultra-low powered processors VIA really owns that arena and im sure will be our new AMD :) I proclaim first VIA fanboy status

[Tom Oliveri @ May 1st 2008 12:52AM]

*edit...

Before you bitch i said ULTRA-low not just low, i know they make low powered cpus but nothing like.. 1w, .5w like VIA

[w00t @ May 1st 2008 1:03AM]

Intel know what they're doing (After all, they invented the x86) and I've got every confidence they'll bring something as strong as the Core Micro-architecture to the low power/embedded markets too

Even if Atom doesn't wipe the floor with the competition wait and see what's next

PS. isn't the Isiah around 25w TDP? That's a totally different class altogether!

[Striker @ May 1st 2008 12:52AM]

Wow, VIA should study Intel and find out what actually makes people want their processors, oh duh, they pretty much pwn everything else (don't flame me about Isaiah being better than Atom, I'm talking about laptop and desktop procs). Maybe if VIA actually made a decent processor that isn't ULV-only, they could sell one every once in a while.

[Tom Oliveri @ May 1st 2008 12:54AM]

umm.. take a step back and think about where the market is headed...

are we seeing more desktops and less laptops or the other way around?

Maybe VIA are just really good at low voltage CPU's and dont want to enter the dying desktop market...

[DarkLightConnection Unbanned @ May 1st 2008 1:00AM]

@tom: I agree that if VIA is good at ULV they should stick with it and not compete in an already competitive market where they would be basically n00bs - But I don't think that the desktop market is dying

Sure, there are more laptops than desktops comming out.... But the desktops are here to stay, desktops will not die any time soon

[Jack @ May 1st 2008 6:57AM]

increase in laptops to sales, maybe
decrease in desktop sales, not really

you make the assumption that only home users buy desktops and forget about businesses

[Jack @ May 1st 2008 6:57AM]

sorry, that was directed at tom

[Abuzar @ May 1st 2008 12:59AM]

Screw you!!!

I want chocolate milk.

[gad get @ May 1st 2008 1:51AM]

Random.

[Onetrack @ May 1st 2008 1:19AM]

Where the hell is the atom powered ECS g10il ? ? ?? it was supposed to be released in april which is over tomorrow.

I'd like to get one


//maybe install osx on it.

[JAmerican @ May 1st 2008 1:37AM]

I actually wish the HP machine had the Isaiah chip in it. Seems so much more promising.

[Jon Doe. @ May 1st 2008 4:39AM]

Ask that question this fall...you will have your answer. The chip that they have in there now is swapable with the Isaiah. I'll bet anyone here that HP is KEENLY aware of the performance of their subnotebook and will be doing something about that as soon as Isaiah is available in bulk. Again the two chips are pin compatible. Its simply a mater, AFAIK, of doing some firmware tweaks for power\heat mgmt, possibly a slight redeisgn on the heaksync, and some good old fashion QC on the hardware in general. The next revision of that thing WILL be mine...oh yes...it will be mine....MWAHAHAHA....*coughs* sorry...should sleep....

[bugster @ May 1st 2008 4:14AM]

The hype over atom is mostly due to ignorance about the chip, the first iteration, silverthorne, is not intended to compete with isaiah it's intended for mids/handhelds currently dominated by arm cpus. Diamondville is the version meant for eeepc, mini-note type low end/small/low power laptops. It should beat Isaiah with an 8W TDP in it's dual core configuration.

The thing that absolutely kills VIA cpus is their chipsets/graphics. I think my old commodore 64 could beat the VIA Chrome OpenGL scores for the HP Mini-note. If Nvidia comes out with it's promised VIA chipset or better yet just buys VIA then things might get interesting.

[Kurian @ May 1st 2008 4:27AM]

I'm all for Core 2's revolutionary performance in mobile devices. They could use the immense power in something like the PSP2 or whatever and own Nintendo's childish ass.

[Jon Doe. @ May 1st 2008 4:46AM]

Yah because god knows how well Sony is stomping Nintendo's ass with the killing power of the PSP....oh wait.... http://www.vgchartz.com

NOT....

I find it funny that people still are not getting the fact that Nintendo is stomping everyone's ass not with ULTIMATE SUPER MEGA HARDWARE, but with innovative hardware and games that are just fun...and aren't simply another FPS knock-off. But whatever. Shove 2 Core 2 Duos in there. It will sell like hotcakes no doubt.

[tekdroid @ May 1st 2008 12:15PM]

John Doe:
Price has a bigger influence on sales than you think. But you make a good point.

I own both consoles and they are so different and each offer both boring and fun gameplay (all depends on the game) that the two aren't worth really comparing.

For instance, you'd never get a game like Meteos on PSP (with brilliant stylus control) but then you'd never get a game like Ridge Racer 2 on DS. The DS simply sucks for those types of games (hardware limitations, size, form factor). It's all about the games taking good advantage of the hardware and being fun to play, IMO. Some do and some just don't. Anyway, two totally different gaming experiences, overall. Both worth buying :)

As for x86 processors in portable consoles...who knows but I can't say it's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of high tech, or battery life...lol.

[TareX @ May 1st 2008 7:00AM]

Could we see a thin UMPC handheld capable of playing Crysis? I just hope they don't FORGET the touchscreen, as in the OQO model 2....

[RyanTV @ May 1st 2008 10:29AM]

"with AMD's Puma and VIA's Isaiah nipping at Atom's heels, Intel might want to kick things into a higher gear."

Yah, I'm sure Intel is real worried about these "competitors". Get real.