Intel's partners can resume shipping Sandy Bridge laptops... if they agree to a workaround
Fret not, to-be Sandy Bridge buyer -- it looks as if the laptop delays won't be as severe as expected. According to Intel, it's working hard (read: coercing) with OEMs to keep Sandy Bridge laptops flowing from the factory, and apparently, that involves a pinky swear that partners won't utilize the four affected ports. That means that existing machines can be shipped with the first two SATA ports on the mainboard enabled, and considering that most lappies have just a single HDD, one optical drive and no eSATA sockets, the vast majority of 'em should be able to ship sans issue. An Intel spokesperson wouldn't confirm to Laptop the exact vendors who were agreeing to the terms, but at least Chipzilla is now aiming to have newly designed (and unmarred) parts in the channel by "mid-February."
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Intel Provides Update on Support Chip Design Issue
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On January 31, 2011, Intel disclosed a design issue with a support chip, the Intel® 6 Series Chipset that has the potential to impact certain PC system configurations. Intel subsequently initiated extensive discussions with computer makers about this topic. Both Intel and its customers are focused on delivering the highest quality PC systems based on Intel® 2nd Generation Core® Processors. As a result of these discussions and specific requests from computer makers, Intel is resuming shipments of the Intel® 6 Series Chipset for use only in PC system configurations that are not impacted by the design issue.
Only computer makers who have committed to shipping the Intel® 6 Series Chipset in PC system configurations that are not impacted by the design issue will be receiving these shipments.
This resumption of shipments of the Intel® 6 Series Chipset is not changing the company's updated first quarter 2011 and full-year financial Outlook published on January 31st.
In parallel, Intel has started manufacturing on a new version of this support chip. Intel now expects to begin shipping the new parts in mid February.
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - News) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
Intel, the Intel logo, and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.
