Intel slashes Laptop chip prices

Hurt by lagging desktop sales and increased competition in the low-end PC market, Intel is making an aggressive move designed to increase demand for its laptop computer chips. By cutting prices of these low-power CPUs, by over 37 percent, Intel is betting that the resulting, lower laptop prices will entice more computer buyers into choosing a laptop as their second or third computer. The release of Intel's new Xeon chip is triggering the company to also slash the price of other high-end processors as well. The 400 megahertz Pentium II chips are expected to drop from the current price of $720 to $375, by October. Let the "chips" fall where they may - it's a PC buyer's market.

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SLICON PROCESSORS PC INFORMATION...

Silicon Image, a developer of semiconductors, has released Advanced Host Controller Interface version 1.2 Serial ATA driver for the latest generation of Intel PC chipsets.
Designed for compatibility with Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and future versions of Window's operating systems using Microsoft's latest Storport driver architecture, Silicon Image's AHCI driver allows PC OEMs to create motherboard designs that embed SteelVine storage processors and port multipliers.
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According to Silicon Image, AHCI driver takes advantage of the Serial ATA architecture and provides seamless operation between Intel's chipsets and Silicon Image's SteelVine storage processors.
Conrad Maxwell, senior product line manager at Silicon Image, said: "This new product offering represents a significant improvement in motherboard and eSATA support as our AHCI driver allows all drives to be visible without the need for an additional discrete port multiplier aware SATA controller."

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Graphics Processors Increasingly Embedded In PC Chipsets..

A growing trend in PC design is the integration of graphics processors in chipsets, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). Although high performance graphics will continue to be offered in both integrated and standalone versions, the majority of general business and consumer graphics processors will transition to integrated implementations, the high-tech market research firm says. With chipsets now sporting functions such as memory control, USB, 1394, and now graphics, they are growing into much more than their humble beginnings as glue logic.Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
Consumer desktop PC chipset revenue growth is forecast to be 11.2% in 2007, rising to 14.8% in 2008.
Consumer notebook PC chipset revenue growth is forecast to be 27% for 2007.
Notebooks are not likely to see dual graphics processor implementations due to form factor and current power consumption issues

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Nvidia Weighs in on Intel Chip Pricing: (Unfair)

Just days after the EU slammed Intel for anticompetitive behavior, graphics developer Nvidia characterizes Intel's pricing for Atom systems as "unfair."

Just when it looked like there might be a bit of a détente between graphics developer and chip-making giant Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang decides to ratchet up the tensions again by characterizing Intel's pricing of Atom CPUs as unfair, although he added his company has no plans to bring legal action against Intel…for now.

Intel's Atom CPU's are currently powering the majority of so-called "netbook" computers flooding the market: low-cost and comparatively low-powered notebook systems with small screens primarily intended to let users accomplish lightweight tasks like keeping up with email and surfing the Web. Intel sells two versions of the Atom CPU: a standalone version, and a version in a three-chip set that includes Intel's Graphic Media Accelerator (GMA) graphics to drive a screen.It has to substitute for Intel GMA and radically boost the graphics performance of Atom-based systems—Nvidia claims up to tenfold performance improvements, which could make netbooks and appealing platform for games and video media. However, computer makers—ever cost-conscious in the low-margin netbook business—haven't been rushing to embrace Nvidia's Ion platform—because Intel sells Atom processors with GMA for $25, but Atom processors with no graphics at all cost $45, according to Reuters. So equipment manufacturers are forced to pay more for their CPUs, then more on top of that to Nvidia for enhanced graphics.

"That seems pretty unfair," Huang told Reuters. "We ought to be able to compete and serve that market."

Huang's comments come just days after for anticompetitive practices, the largest antitrust fine ever levied by the EU against a company.

Intel plans to appeal the European Union antitrust ruling, and has consistently maintained it has done nothing wrong and that its actions have lowered technology prices for consumers. Intel also refuted Nvidia's claims of unfair competition, with a spokesman noting that no one is forcing computer makers to buy chip bundles rather than stand-alone CPUs...

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