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moorestown posts

Intel making 'important announcement' today -- a Nokia netbook / MID?

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 23rd 2009 at 4:29AM

Possible big news on the way later today. According to Bloomberg, Intel's very own Mr. MID, Anand Chandrasekher, will announce Nokia as a new customer of its mobile processors. This is important because Nokia is a long time friend of ARM and Intel by its own admission can't currently compete with ARM when it comes to the ultra-low power consumption requirements of smartphones. So whatever Nokia's got cooking will presumably be running on Intel's upcoming Moorestown MID platform or its ultra-low power Medfield silicon targeting mainstream smartphones in 2011. On the other hand, Nokia's CEO already expressed interest in entering the laptop race with Intel or the ARM-based Snapdragon rumored to be at the core. But if this announcement results in yet another Atom-based netbook, well, good luck with that Nokia.

[Via IntoMobile]

Compal tries harder with Intel-based KAX15 MID

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 11th 2009 at 8:56AM

We're not so sure that being the "world's smallest Windows-based MID" is really a benefit for those who appreciate keys that are large enough to mash and screens that are large enough to see, but whatever the case, Compal seems pretty proud of its accomplishments here. Shown off along with scores of other me-too MIDs at Computex, the KAX15 is based around Intel's existing Menlow platform and sports the polarizing tilt-and-slide mechanism for unmasking the QWERTY keyboard. As for specs, we're told that it packs an 800 x 480 display and an 800MHz processor, but further details have yet to flow. There's a hands-on vid just past the break if you're somehow intrigued with shoving Windows in your left cargo pocket.

Continue reading Compal tries harder with Intel-based KAX15 MID

CTD's incredulous Dragonfly concept in the flesh -- needs a few more years in the oven

by Paul Miller, posted Jun 10th 2009 at 4:13PM

Don't get us wrong, we're completely enamored with the idea of having a real laptop-style keyboard in a pocket-friendly form factor, but based on our quick look at a very rough mockup of the device today, we're not so convinced that CTD's "crossfolding" Dragonfly MID will be the one to bring it to market. We spoke with Edward Bullister, an MIT grad with a PhD and some Intel connections, who is hard at work on the device, and while we admire his enthusiasm and DIY ethic, we'd say he seems a little overly optimistic when it comes to the tech necessary to pull this off.

His plan is to stick a Moorestown chip inside, with Windows XP as a primary OS, but perhaps a dual-boot option to Moblin. He's totally serious about the two fold-up LED backlit LCDs, though he admits the dual-sided screens depicted in the renders will have to wait for a later generation. More incredulously, he claims the device will have "all day" battery life, and be ready to ship by the end of the year. Yeah... we doubt it. No manufacturer is lined up currently, and he seems pretty distant from even having a working prototype. Still, we can't deny how great the form factor would be for pounding out a writing assignment on a plane, or wowing friends and family members (though we're not stoked about his ideas for using an external mouse as a primary input). So, best of luck Edward -- we'd love to be proven wrong on this one.

Gallery: CTD's incredulous Dragonfly concept in the flesh

Elektrobit Moorestown MID reference design is more like it

by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 10th 2009 at 2:23AM

We're kinda-sorta coming around on the MIDs now that we've gotten a chance to play with Moblin 2.0, but it'll take some great hardware to really convince us (or hell, anyone) -- like this promising first Moorestown reference design from Elektrobit. Yeah, it's not quite the amazing mockup device that Intel's been showing off for a couple years, but it's still pretty attractive, and it's actually pretty small at just a half-inch thick with a four-inch HD screen. You're also looking at HDMI out, either WiMAX or 3G mobile broadband, and voice capability. Sadly, none of this will ship until Intel delivers the Mooretown chips, so we won't be able to do anything except sniff vapor until 2010.

[Via Linux Devices]

MID device sales far lower than estimates, only Intel surprised

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 5th 2009 at 5:01AM

You know that MID / UMPC craze (remember origami?) that was supposed to change our lives? Well, it hasn't. In fact, if the unofficial numbers reported by DigiTimes are correct, then sales of bulky, Menlow-based MIDs have been a disaster which helps explain why manufacturers have grown skeptical of the platform. DigiTimes is reporting sales of just 30,000 units compared to the 150,000 - 200,000 units Intel ~~promised~~ estimated. Intel claims that the weak sales were due to the global economic downturn but we have another opinion: mainstream consumers don't want a device that is too big for the pocket, provides less functionality than a netbook, and is priced like a laptop. That, and we still haven't seen a compelling usage scenario for this device category -- simply pairing Intel's next generation Moorestown with Moblin isn't a fix. Of course, it's no surprise that Intel got blindsided by the rise of the modern smartphone, that's not their turf... yet.

Mojo Mobility shows off wireless charging on Intel MIDs

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 5th 2009 at 1:33AM

Despite overwhelming evidence showing that MIDs just aren't the next big thing, Intel refuses to give up on the idea. To that end, Mojo Mobility has seemingly drank the Kool-Aid as well, showing off a new wireless charging system on those very devices at Computex. The Near Field Power solution can be integrated into mobile devices much like the Palm Pre, and the Mojo pad enables current to be transferred easily as soon as the device is laid to rest on said mat. Heck, it's even smart enough to turn itself off once the device reaches a full charge. Unfortunately, pricing for the Mojo system is still undisclosed, but we're told that several OEMs are already looking into baking it into their next-gen products.

Video: Inventec's Moblin-based MediaPhone shown at Computex

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 3rd 2009 at 1:24PM

You may be doing your best to plug your ears and pretend that Moblin's no big deal, but blissful ignorance is only effective for so long. At a Moblin press event over at Computex, the Inventec handset you see pictured above was demonstrated. Reportedly, the MediaPhone was a working unit based around Intel's forthcoming Moorestown platform, and the talking head made it clear that we wouldn't see a "netbook experience" simply shoved in here. We also get the idea that this particular device is just the beginning of a short to medium list of similar products, but there's obviously no word yet on what other handset / MID / UMPC makers are swallowing the Moblin pill. Live demonstration video is just past the break.

Continue reading Video: Inventec's Moblin-based MediaPhone shown at Computex

Compal, other manufacturers skeptical of MIDs

by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 22nd 2009 at 6:29AM

Remember the dedicated team that Compal had set aside back in 2007 to focus on all those Atom-based MIDs expected to flood the market? Pilfered, another victim blind-sided by the rise of the netbook. According to DigiTimes' moles inside the Chinese manufacturing juggernaut, Compal, Quanta, ASUS, and others are focusing resources on netbooks while remaining conservative on Intel's MID platform. Even with Intel's battery-sipping Moorestown platform around the corner, we remain skeptical about devices that are too large for the pocket and double the price of netbooks that bring twice the screen and full QWERTY keyboards -- for mass market consumption anyway.

Intel debuts 2GHz Atom Z550 processor, demos Moorestown platform

by Ross Miller, posted Apr 8th 2009 at 1:16AM

In celebration of the Atom's one-year anniversary, Intel's unveiled Z550, the latest processor in the family and as the rumors suggested, it clocks in at a pretty impressive 2GHz along with support for Hyperthreading, all in under three watts of power usage. Additionally, it took the veil off of the Z515 with Intel Burst Performance Technology, which can bump the speed up to 1.2GHz. In more forward-thinking news, senior VP and general manager Anand Chandrasekher demoed its Moorestown MID platform on stage at a presentation, which we last heard was supposed to show itself in a more tangible form sometime this month via an Archos netbook. We've contacted Intel for video of that demonstration, so you're just gonna have to wait a bit for that.

Update: The Moorestown demo was (how should we put this)... lame -- from a consumer's standpoint anyway. Instead of demonstrating it in a hand-held MID, Intel was again showing off silicon in a desktop rig strapped to enough life support to keep AMD afloat. The demo did show the 10x less idle power consumption promised but we've got a ways to go (2010 or before) before we see Moorestown product.

Archos announces new Moorestown-based netbook, 9-inch tablet

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Feb 16th 2009 at 4:08PM

We saw the rough'n'ready Archos 10 get reviewed mere days ago, and now the company's back with the Atom-powered Archos 10s, a new 20mm thin netbook with 3.5G functionality, 1GB memory, Windows XP Home and up to 160GB storage. Additionally, the company has designs on a 17mm-thin, 9-inch tablet based on Intel's Moorestown MID platform, to see the light of day sometime this year. This guy will include the Intel System Controller Hub chipset, up to 160GB storage, VOD and hi-def video playback, and digital TV reception. The Archos 10s should be available sometime in April, at a price to be announced.

[Via UMPC Portal]

Read - "ARCHOS announces new generation innovative MiniPCs based on Intel Atom Processor" (Warning: PDF)

Intel and LG partner up for some hot MID action

by Nilay Patel, posted Feb 16th 2009 at 1:33AM

Intel's been talking up MIDs for a while now, and it looks like LG's ready to buy in -- the two companies just announced that they'll be cooperating on a series of devices running Intel's Moblin OS on the Moorestown platform. Interestingly, the release says the first product will deliver the "functionality of today's high-end smart phones," which seems to suggest that Intel's willing to shift some product definitions around. Still, we wouldn't expect a straight-up phone out of this one -- we're hoping for something more like Intel's crazy concept MID shown here. We'll see what these two come up with over the next year, it should definitely be interesting.

Video: Moorestown MID platform taken for a spin around the Intel labs

by Thomas Ricker, posted Oct 22nd 2008 at 10:02AM

We finally nabbed a video of the first Moorestown silicon -- a mashup of Intel's Lincroft and Langwell chips and a third party power management chip -- slapped together and running on a validation board inside of an Intel lab. It's nothing like the form factor of that crazy MID mockup Intel's been showing. Nevertheless, first silicon out of fab is pretty significant, especially when it promises 10x the power savings of Menlow (made famous by the Atom CPU) which Moorestown replaces. Full video after the break.

Update: Viddler's having capacity issues today -- try refreshing if the video doesn't load the first time or try this direct link.

Continue reading Video: Moorestown MID platform taken for a spin around the Intel labs

Intel unveils world's first working Moorestown MID platform

by Thomas Ricker, posted Oct 20th 2008 at 1:24AM

This sexy MID has been dropping jaws for more than a year now. Unfortunately, the plastic mock-up has always been a non-working, gutless model with little more than a glossy screen and backlight to demonstrate the form factor Intel's gunning for with its future Moorestown Mobile Internet Devices. That all changed today when a world's first working, Moorestown prototype (~~which we think is the device above~~) hit the stage at Intel's Taipei, Developer Forum in the familiar hands of Anand Chandrasekher. Moorestown consists of a Lincroft micro-architecture that integrates the 45nm processor, graphics, memory controller, and video encode/decode functions onto a single, tiny chip with 10x less idle power draw than those first-gen, Atom-based MIDs and UMPCs. That's pretty Impressive. As we've heard before, we can expect the new Moorestown MIDs to hit in 2009 / 2010 with support for wireless 3G, WiMAX, GPS, Bluetooth and digital mobile TV. We can hardly wait. We'll update you with video just as soon as we can track it down. Until then, check Anand's original video demonstration of the concept from 2007 after the break.

Update: Sadly, it now appears that the demonstration was little more than a validation board running fresh from the factory, three-day old Moorestown silicon in an Intel lab. Significant, but hardly a working MID prototype. A working Moorestown MID like that pictured above remains the stuff of Intel's graphics department fantasy for the time being.

Read -- World's first Moorestown platform
Read -- Moorestown MID prototype on display in Taipei

Continue reading Intel unveils world's first working Moorestown MID platform

Video: Intel reveals Moorestown PC motherboard, possibly world's smallest

by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 3rd 2008 at 9:03AM

It was brief but it sure was impressive. With all the hubbub surrounding Intel's launch of Atom, let's not forget what's coming: Moorestown. That fiberglass isn't yet populated with the CPU, chipset, WiFi, GPS, 3G cellular radio, or memory... but it will be if you can wait until 2010. See it revealed after the break.

Continue reading Video: Intel reveals Moorestown PC motherboard, possibly world's smallest

Apple eyeing Intel platform for future iPhone?

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 3rd 2007 at 5:22PM

It sounds a bit odd that Apple would have to "consider" Intel for anything -- you know, considering that it provides the processors for the Mac lineup and all -- but according to DigiTimes, Cupertino could be looking Intel's way for a future iPhone platform. Granted, this rumor is indeed one of the weaker ones we've seen, and it's no secret that Apple tends to shift from vendor to vendor in order to keep costs down, but it's being reported that the firm could be "considering developing an iPhone" based on the Moorestown platform. Make of that what you will, but at least we know it's not likely to be called the iPhone Extreme if it does indeed materialize in due time.

[Via TGDaily]