Chip giant Intel Corp yesterday unveiled its next-generation mobile chip, promising lower power consumption, faster processing speed and high-definition video performance to boost growth in the expanding laptop computer market.
After several months delay, Intel launched the Centrino 2 — previously code-named Montevina — around the globe yesterday.
“What we are talking about is 302 million-unit [notebook] market. This is a huge opportunity. Notebooks will be a factor driving future growth,” Stanley Huang (黃逸松), the director of Intel’s Asia-Pacific region, told a press briefing in Taipei.
PHOTO: LI CHIU-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
OVERTAKE
Sales of notebook computers could overtake desktop computers to account for 60 percent of the personal-computer (PC) market by 2011, Huang said, citing International Data Corp (IDC) estimates.
Desktop computers are expected to still account for more than 50 percent of the PC market this year based on IDC’s forecast, he said.
With their low power consumption, the new Centrino 2 chips can save up to 25 percent on battery life compared with Intel’s Santa Rosa chips, allowing users to watch a full Blu-ray DVD movie on their laptops with one battery charge.
The Centrino 2 chip also raises wireless connectivity to 450 megabytes per second with optimal WiMAX connection.
Fifteen notebook PC makers, including Hewlett-Packard Inc, Acer Inc and Lenovo Group (聯想) showcased their latest laptops powered by Centrino 2 chips during the Intel launch.
“We believe the sale of Intel’s new platform will usher in a new wave of growth for PCs, especially notebooks, as consumers will benefit more from Intel’s new platform, which offers longer battery life and better performance,” said Ken Wong (黃建恒), Lenovo’s general manager in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
SUSTAINABLE
Wang also said that the growth momentum of notebook computers in Taiwan would be sustainable in the second half, despite fears that mounting inflation could hurt PC demand.
Lenovo said it planned to launch five models outfitted with Centrino 2 in the second half, some of which would be available for sales in Taiwan by the end of this month.
Commenting on the uptake of Intel’s new chip, IDC analyst Dickie Chang (張祐昌) said: “It is nice to have a strong-performance laptop with Centrino 2, but people should think twice before making an order as high-definition content remains limited.”
Chang said consumer taste was also shifting, with buyers putting more emphasis on the exterior design rather than simply the performance of a computer.
“Technology upgrade used to spur new PC demand, but the impact is diminishing,” Chang said.
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