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Intel issues product discontinuance notice for seven Merom chips
Oh, Merom. It felt like just yesterday that we were shaking our heads in disappointment after reading lackluster reviews and wondering when you'd finally make an appearance in Apple's MacBook Pro. Thankfully, times change, and with Intel's mobile Penryn stealing all the limelight of late, we 'spose it's about time the Merom lineup cashed out its 401(k) and sailed off to Maui. According to a PCN (product change notification) from the chip maker, the Core 2 Duo T7200, T7600, T5500, T5600 and LV L7200 are being flagged for discontinuation along with the less potent Celeron M 520 and 530. Granted, the whole family will still be available to ship until sometime in 2009, but for us, it's on to bigger smaller and faster things. [Warning: PDF read link][Via TGDaily, image courtesy of Gutenberg]
MacBook Air processor situation gets explained
We already knew the basic details about the processor at the heart of Apple's MacBook Air, but those itching to know exactly how Apple and Intel managed to cram everything into that oh so small package may want to head over to AnandTech, which has pieced together a fairly thorough report on the matter. As the site reports, the processor is based on Intel's 65nm Merom architecture and packs an 800MHz bus, yet it uses the significantly smaller chip package that Intel had originally only planned to debut with the launch of its Montevina laptop platform later this year. That combination, along with the Intel 965GMS chipset with integrated graphics, allowed for a 60% reduction in total footprint size, and a TDP rating of just 20W, as opposed to 35W from the regular Core 2 Duo processor. If that's still not enough MacBook Air minutia you, you can hit up the link below for the full rundown.[Via AppleInsider]
Intel readying slew of 45nm Penryn mobile CPUs?
Hot on the heels of Intel's mobile Core 2 Extreme X7900 comes word that the chip maker has eleven 45-nanometer CPUs in the backroom just waiting to take the laptop scene by storm. DigiTimes has it that Intel will indeed launch the five Penryns we heard about recently "in the first quarter of 2008," and also notes that Q2 holds six more chips destined for the Montevina platform. More specifically, "sources at motherboard makers" suggested that the Q2-bound processors will consume between 25 and 35-watts of energy, sport a 1,066MHz front-side-bus, boast between 3MB and 6MB of L2 cache, and feature clock speeds ranging from 2.13GHz to 3.06GHz. As expected, no model numbers have been assigned just yet, and considering that Intel "declined the opportunity to respond to this report," we suppose you should tuck this all away in the rumor folder for the time being.[Via TGDaily]
Intel launching Core 2 Extreme X7900 mobile CPU?
All set to one-up the 2.6GHz X7800, Intel has reportedly launched the 2.8GHz successor, unsurprisingly dubbed the Core 2 Extreme X7900. The processor purportedly relies on a 65-nanometer die, but boasts updated specs to go along with the 200MHz jump in speed. The chip will apparently offer up an 800MHz front-side-bus, chew through 44-watts of power, and arrive at OEMs unlocked and ready for a (likely minor) does of overclocking. At the GC Press Day, an Intel representative was said to be demonstrating the new CPU on the Asus G2 and a Dell M1730, but nothing was mentioned about a release date.
Intel releases Santa Rosa notebook chipset
Our sister blog Engadget has the goods on Intel's newest notebook chipset which was released yesterday and is called "Santa Rosa." This chipset is the followup to earlier notebook chipsets which are presently powering the MacBook and MacBook Pro. This presumably means new and faster Mac portables sometime down the road. However, given that there was a delay of a couple of months between the first Windows PCs with the "Merom" Core 2 Duo and the first MacBook Pros sporting that processor, this doesn't mean that there will be new Macs in the immediate future. Whenever they do drop expect the top of the line to increase to 2.4 GHz (though it will remain a Merom Core 2 Duo chip), with front side bus speed increasing to 800 MHz over the 667 MHz of today. There's also a more powerful Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics chip, which should definitely help performance on a new MacBook or Mac mini. The chipset also supports more wireless networking standards, but of course there's no guarantee that Apple will use them.
Zepto's Znote 6625WD does DX10, HSDPA, and HD DVD
Considering that Zepto isn't exactly "the name" in full-blown gaming laptops, we certainly hope this one won't turn out like ones prior, but the Znote 6625WD purportedly packs a plethora of lavish innards if it proves legitimate. The 15.4-inch machine is based around Intel's Santa Rosa, er, Centrino Pro platform, and sports a WSXGA resolution, Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth 2.0, NVIDIA's 512MB GeForce Go 8600 graphics card, DirectX 10 support, an optional HD DVD writer, 802.11a/b/g/n, HSDPA compatibility, and to top things off, an HDMI output. The company will supposedly be taking customized orders in May to satisfy your wildest dreams, and while the bottom-end of the bunch could land at around "$1,100 to $1,200," we imagine that some of the aforementioned luxuries will ratchet that right on up.[Via Laptopical]
Intel rolls out first Core 2 Duo ULV processors
So those pokey UMPCs and super-duper ultraportables that we love to hate are about to get a little more peppy, thanks to a pair of ultra low voltage processors from Intel that just happen to sport that AMD-killin' Merom core. Without much fanfare (or any at all, really -- where's the OCC ULV chopper?), Santa Clara introduced the 1.06GHz U7500 and 1.2GHz U7600 CPUs today, the latest chips to join the powerful Core 2 Duo family. Headed straight for the smallest of the small PCs, the new models are compatible with both the Napa and upcoming Santa Rosa platforms, with a minor pinout change necessary to accommodate the latter when it's released. Pricing details were not immediately available when we wrote this, but you can probably expect these two low-enders to be some of the cheapest Merom parts yet.
Gigabyte unveils U60 UMPC, Centrino Pro notebooks
Gigabyte chose to unveil the products it'll be showing off at CeBit today, and though we had been anticipating the 6.5-inch, Via-powered U60 UMPC Medion-rebadge, the five new Santa Rosa / Centrino Pro-based notebooks come as mostly a surprise. Built around Intel's latest, Merom-specific mobile platform, all five models sport a capacious 10,000mAH eight-hour battery and are loaded up with Vista. The entire spec sheets won't be made available until the show kicks off, but what we do know for now is that the W251U is a 12.1-inch ultraportable with built-in webcam, the W466U and W468N are both 14.1-inch machines -- with the latter offering 256MB NVIDIA NB8P graphics as well as Robson quick-boot technology -- the 15.4-inch W566N sports the same chipset along with Dual-Heatpipe cooling, and the 17-inch W756N is a gaming workhorse with 1GB worth of graphics cards in SLI. Obviously with the lack of details comes a dearth of info on pricing and availability as well, but all that and more should be revealed in just a few short days. [Warning: PDF link].[Via Core Duo News, thanks Staska]
ABS Mayhem Blackhawk is 3.8 pounds of Merom and GeForce goodness
It's not always easy to balance power and portability when it comes to gaming notebooks, mainly because gamers want to stuff as many graphics cards, fans, and sticks of RAM as possible into a big screen package. Well ABS Computer Technology's new Mayhem Blackhawk may only offer a 14.1-inch XGA display, but it makes up for the relatively low resolution by offering a Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics, up to 2GB of RAM, and 160GB of storage in just a 3.8-pound enclosure. Also on board are a DVD burner, three-flavor WiFi, your choice of XP or Vista, and of course the all-important 56.6kbps modem. All this and more -- like a free Logitech headset, Age of Empires III, Far Cry, and MS Works 2004 -- can be yours starting at $1,500.[Via Computer Shopper]
DosPara offers up mid-range Prime Note Chronos laptop, with or without OS
If you're interested in picking a svelte new Merom-powered lappie, but just aren't down with the traditional Windows XP approach that essentially every manufacturer in the world forces upon you, DosPara feels your pain. Hot on the heels of its 13-inch NW2 and 15.4-inch Prime Note Chronos NR2, the forthcoming (and yet-to-be-named) successor sports a typical black / silver enclosure and gives you the choice of having an operating system pre-installed or not. Beneath the hood lies a 1.66GHz Intel T5500 Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 100GB SATA hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 256MB graphics card, dual-layer DVD burner, built-in 802.11a/b/g, and a 4-in-1 flash card reader. Additionally, the unit boasts a WSXGA+ widescreen LCD and a bevy of ports including PCMCIA, 4-pin FireWire, VGA / S-Video output, Ethernet, 56k modem, audio in / out, and four USB 2.0 ports to boot. The 6.4-pound machine will reportedly only last "three hours" on a single charge, but it's not like we expected a gaming-centric laptop to carry you through the workday anyway. Nevertheless, the impending Chronos should be available soon for around €1,000 ($1,282).
Epson goes miniature with Endeavor ST100 micro PC
We know Epson's engineering team prides itself on cranking out the tiniest, most miniscule products they possibly can, and the company has veered from the printing / scanning world for a bit to unveil its Endeavor ST100 "micro PC." While the Endeavor NA101 did its wee thing on the laptop side, the ST100 packs an Intel Core 2 Duo (T7200, T7400, or T7600) processor, ATi's Radeon Xpress 200M graphics chipset, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 40GB to 160GB SATA drive options, and a dual-layer DVD burner. It also sports a ho hum port assortment including VGA, audio in / out, Ethernet, 56k modem, and six USB 2.0 ports with a pair of them being on the front panel. While it doesn't quite undercut the Mac Mini's 6.5- x 6.5- x 2-inch enclosure and 2.9-pound weight, this PC weighs in at just over five pounds while boasting a 7.28- x 7.68- x 2.95-inch package. Those looking for an ultraportable desktop on a budget shouldn't find much to complain about here, as the ST100 starts at just ¥59,850 ($508), but we're sure adding a speedier CPU and gobs of RAM will ratchet that right up.[Via Akihabara News]
Toshiba serves up a Merom-powered Satellite P100 configuration
What a time to be alive for the discriminating gamer: not only has next-gen console madness begun sweeping the country prior to the PS3 and Wii launches, even PC manufacturers are dropping some impressive hardware, with Toshiba offering up a Merom-powered version of its Satellite P100 hot on the heels of Dell's quad-core XPS 710 desktop. Besides a dual-core 2.0GHz T7200 CPU, the 17-inch P100-ST9742 also brings a 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, top-of-the-line NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GTX graphics, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 100GB, 7,200RPM hard drive, 5-in-1 card reader, DVD SuperDuperMulti drive, and three-flavor WiFi plus Bluetooth. On the connection tip, this 7.1-pound machine delivers four USB 2.0 ports along with RGB, S-video, DVI, FireWire, S/PDIF, and both PCMCIA and ExpressCard slots. Getting your frag on Toshiba-style will set you back $2,900, and for now, this system is available exclusively through the company's website.[Via The Inquirer]
Core 2 Duo MacBooks coming this month?
Although the new Core 2 Duo chips haven't exactly lived up to their hype, it stands to reason that Apple will soon grace MacBooks with the Merom magic as it has with the MacBook Pros. When would such a bump happen? AppleInsider is reporting that the new C2D MacBooks may be coming as soon as this week, or possibly later this month. Still, we're more concerned about a second generation of MacBooks that fixes the whining, discoloration, heat issues, and other such problems, rather than the meager 10 percent boost a Core 2 Duo is going to bring to the table.
New Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros only see 10 percent speed bump
We're not really sure how exactly Apple measured the new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros in order to get a purported 39 percent speed increase from the previous models, but then again, that's what we depend upon the free and independent press for. Macworld has taken the new MBPs for a test flight and, guess what, Apple's been pulling our legs. Yep, Macworld could only get a 10 percent bump on the new 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MBP (just like those Core 2 Duo iMacs) when compared to the original 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo MBP running the Speedmark benchmark. The top of the line 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MBP with 2GB of RAM, as expected, was the leader of the pack, coming in with a Speedmark score of 226 ("19 percent faster than the older model"), and bested its companions in every category ranging from running Unreal Tournament 2004 to video Cinema 4D rendering. Now all we need are some Core 2 Duo MacBooks and we'll have the family fully upgraded -- that is, until they get those quad-core chips going.
Frontier Kouziro launches 15.4-inch Core 2 Duo lappy
This 15.4-inch design seems pretty popular with the OEM types in Asia -- we just saw Wolf-N-Fox bust out a nearly identical model a couple of weeks ago -- but just in case you were feeling constricted by your current options for a middling Core 2 Duo boringbook, we thought we'd let you know about Frontier Kouziro's new FRNV71 BTO version of the laptop. Based on a 1.66GHz T5500 Core 2 Duo processor (there's also the FRNV11 which sports a 1.46GHz Celeron M 410 CPU), the laptop boasts of a weak sauce 1,280 x 800 display, 256MB of RAM, 60GB HDD and a CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive. Luckily, connectivity options such as gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, a multi-card reader and ExpressCard/54 make things a bit more exciting. The price also isn't too shabby for a Japanese laptop, at 129,900 yen, about $1,106 USD.[Via Akihabara]
Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro gets dissected
Well, that didn't take long. Shortly after a shiny new Core 2 Duo-equipped MacBook Pro arrived on their doorstep, the folks at iFixit lovingly cracked it open so you don't have to. There aren't a whole lot of surprises under the hood -- unless you haven't already heard about a certain undisclosed bonus -- but if you want to see where all your hard-earned money went up close, they've got the pics to satisfy you.[Via Digg]
Intel's Santa Rosa platform officially dubbed Centrino Pro
While the Mac faithful are still twiddling their thumbs waiting for Apple to finally bump those sexy MacBook Pros to Merom status, Intel's not wasting any time officially dubbing its next generation notebook platform. The company unveiled the Santa Rosa chipset, complete with integrated HSDPA, at this year's Intel Developer's Forum, but we've now learned that it will not only be built "around the 64-bit dual-core Merom" processor, but it'll carry a "Centrino Pro" nametag to boot. Although specific speeds weren't announced, the chip giant did say that next year's Core 2 Duo lineup would include "T7300, T7500 and T7700 models," which boast an "800MHz front side bus and 4MB L2 cache," while the low-end T7100 gets it on-die cache halved. Simultaneously, Intel's "GM965/PM965 chipsets and 82566MM Gigabit Network/Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN network chips" will be unveiled to complete the Centrino Pro trifecta. Intel's planning on having these expeditious goodies ready by "Q2 2007," and the $300 million its throwing down for "promotion purposes" should keep us all very informed on its progress.[Via Laptoping]
Haier's new W61N 14-inch Merom offering is looking fit
You know, Haier's expertise isn't limited to networked air conditioners and ALP phones that we'll never see in the States. They also build laptops and lots of other things that we'll never see here either, and their new Core 2 Duo W61N is looking not-too-shabby. The 14-inch compact unit sports a 1.83GHz T5600 processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, integrated Intel 950 graphics with 128MB of shared memory, DVD/CD-RW combo drive and a 1280 x 768 resolution LCD. No word on price or availability, but we'll let those Korean kids deal with that, since that's where this is headed.
Lenovo unveils 3000 V100 / C200 Core 2 Duo-powered notebooks
Joining the growing parade of manufacturers upping the innards of their notebook lines with Core 2 Duo chips, Lenovo is bumping the specs in its buget-minded 3000 series. While the N100 has already made the Merom leap, the newly-unveiled C200 now offers a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 processor, 15-inch XGA display, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 80GB 5400RPM hard drive, Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics set, 802.11a/b/g wireless, and a DVD Burner to boot. It also sports VGA / S-Video out, a 56k modem, Ethernet, 4-pin FireWire, four USB 2.0 ports, and a PCMCIA slot, but the 6.2-pound weight and 2.5-hour battery life may scare some away. On the ultraportable side, the 4-pound V100 now touts a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor, 12.1-inch WXGA LCD, 100GB 5400RPM hard drive, 6-cell battery, and a dual-layer DVD burner, while sharing the remaining specs with its larger sibling. Lenovo also threw an ExpressCard slot, 5-in-1 flash card reader, and snazzy fingerprint scanner in the little guy, but yanked the S-Video output and one USB 2.0 port in the process. Both units will be available in a plethora of configurations later this month, with prices starting at $650 for the C200, and $999 for the V100. Read - Lenovo 3000 C200 Read - Lenovo 3000 V100
Wolf-N-Fox brings a bit of Merom to Korea
No model number here or anything, that would be way to convenient, and we're pretty sure we've seen this OEM look before, but Korea's Wolf-N-Fox is busting out a new Core 2 Duo lapster, and we though we'd let you know all the same. The 15.4-inch laptop sports a WSXGA+ resolution (1,680 x 1,050), and runs a 1.66Ghz C2D T5500 processor, with 1GB of RAM, an 80GB HDD, CD-R/DVD combo drive and Intel 945GM graphics to round out the specs. It's a reasonably sized unit, at 1.3 inches thick and 5.7 pounds, especially considering the disc drive is swappable for an extra HDD if it strikes your fancy. Price isn't too bad either, at around $1150 US.
