Intel

Asus Ultrabook due Tuesday

Asus is due to release its Ultrabook lineup on Tuesday, as vendor momentum in this new Windows laptop category gains steam.

The Asus Zenbook line is expected to start at under $1,000 and be populated with 11- and 13-inch models ranging up to $1,499.

The UX21 model, for example, will come with an 11.6-inch display, a Core i5 Intel Sandy Bridge processor, and a 128GB solid-state drive. The high-end 13.3-inch UX31 will have a Core i7 chip and 256GB SSD.

Models are also slated to come with beefed-up sound and USB 3.0 ports. The latter … Read more

Windows $899 Ultrabook arrives: Acer Aspire S3

Intel has been busily promoting the Ultrabook as an inexpensive Windows ultraportable laptop that will start at under $1,000. Well, Acer delivered on that promise today with the Aspire S3 that starts at $899.99.

The S3 is truly thin and light, not like the faux "ultrathins" of years past. The 13.3-inch chassis is 0.68 inches thick and weighs 2.98 pounds. That thickness is identical to the more expensive--at $1,299--MacBook Air, which weighs 2.96 pounds.

And price is important. Intel CEO Paul Otellini promised Ultrabooks would appear priced under $1,000. That's requirement No. 1 to compete effectively with the popular MacBook Air, which starts at $999.

Acer's S3 isn't the first sub-0.8-inch featherweight Windows laptop made from metal but it's the first in this price range: an $899 aluminum-clad, half-inch thick 13.3-inch laptop is truly a Windows milestone.

Acer Aspire S3-951 salient specs:… Read more

Apple's Jobs still shapes PC laptop future

Steve Jobs' imprint on PC laptop design in 2012 and beyond will be large. But we have to step back a few years to see the arc of that influence.

In January 2008 Apple introduced the MacBook Air. That groundbreaking design bore most of the hallmarks of PC laptops that are expected to flood the market in 2012.

Let's look at what Jobs said at that time (see video below).

Highlights of Jobs' MacBook Air presentation in January 2008:

"Instant-on the minute you open it up" "Generous trackpad" Multitouch gesture support Solid-state drive Under 0.… Read more

Asus, Acer on deck, but Ultrabook outlook cut

The lofty goal of 40 percent market share for Ultrabooks in 2012 is due for a reality check, according to an analyst. Meanwhile announcements from Asus and Acer in the U.S. are imminent.

First the positive news. Asus is about to roll out, as soon as next week, at least four Ultrabook models ranging in price from $999 to $1,499, according to a source familiar with the PC maker's rollout. The $999 model, for example, will come with an 11.6-inch display, a Core i5 Intel Sandy Bridge processor, and a 128GB solid-state drive. The high-end $1,… Read more

Intel finds a way to let go of MeeGo

Here we go again. Like the Moblin operating system before it, Linux-based MeeGo will be merged out of existence.

MeeGo will become Tizen, Intel announced today.

"Intel joined Linux Foundation and LiMo Foundation in support of Tizen, a new Linux-based open source software platform for multiple device categories," the company said in a statement. "Tizen builds upon the strengths of both LiMo and MeeGo and Intel will be working with our MeeGo partners to help them transition to Tizen."

The initial release of Tizen is expected in the first quarter of 2012, enabling the first devices … Read more

IBM, Intel group to invest $4.4 billion in chip tech

A group of semiconductor heavyweights led by Intel, IBM, and Globalfoundries will invest $4.4 billion in a New York-based chip R&D hub, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said today.

The five-year investment will target upstate New York, which is already a major center of chip research and development activity tied to IBM and Globalfoundries. The latter--Advanced Micro Devices' erstwhile chipmaking arm now owned by Abu Dhabi-based ATIC--is in the process of completing a massive manufacturing complex to make 28-nanometer chips in the town of Malta, NY. IBM has had manufacturing and R&D facilities … Read more

Acer's Ultrabook to rattle market at $899, says report

Acer is expected to shake up the nascent Ultrabook market when a model lands in the U.S. in the coming weeks at prices well below $1,000, according to a report.

New Age Electronics is now listing the Aspire S series at prices starting at $899.99, according to a report in CRN.

Ultrabooks, like Apple's MacBook Air, are thin, minimalist laptops but offer high performance due to the use of Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processor. … Read more

Intel 50-core chips headed to Texas supercomputer

A University of Texas of supercomputer will tap a future Intel chip that contains more than 50 processor cores--the first instance of Intel supplying this novel technology to a commercial computer.

The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) and University of Texas announced today that they will deploy a 10-Petaflop (or 10,000 trillion operations per second) supercomputer dubbed "Stampede."

When it arrives in early 2013, the supercomputer is expected to be among the world's most powerful computers for scientific and financial applications.

Inside will be an Intel chip design codenamed "Knights Corner," which will house … Read more

Taiwan pub steadily criticizes Intel's Ultrabook

A Taipei-based technology news site has been publishing a steady stream of flak centered on Intel's Ultrabook laptop strategy. Intel counters, however, that this is little more than rumor and speculation.

Over the last week or so, DigiTimes has been offering up almost a daily dose of grievances, seemingly emanating from that region's suppliers, including ODMs (original design manufacturers) and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).

For example, on its front door as of Tuesday night PT, the publication has three articles critical of Intel's Ultrabook strategy.

The Ultrabook is defined roughly as an ultraportable laptop under 0.8 … Read more