mobile computers to 200 and 233 MHz. Early next year, Intel will release a 266-MHz version of the chip.
More important, this latest mobile processor keeps power consumption and heat to a minimum. Tillamook, which is manufactured on a 0.25-micron-process technology, allows for a core voltage of 1.8 V, which keeps power dissipation below 6 W. The 2.45-V P55C dissipates closer to 8 or 9 W.
This is the first time that Intel has targeted a mobile chip as a lead product for a new technology generation. Tillamook is scheduled to ship in the standard TCP packaging of existing Pentiums and with Intel's Mobile Module (MMO) format, a module on which the processor, L2 cache memory, and some controller chips will be mounted.
The MMO is designed to help OEMs upgrade their notebooks with faster Pentium-level chips, according to Intel. For example, ne
xt year, they could upgrade a system with Tillamook to the Pentium II, dubbed Deschutes. The introduction also reflects a move by Intel to standardize more notebook components, which in turn will keep prices down.
It took Taiwanese notebook makers a long time to accept the MMO. The companies were afraid that the module connector might raise reliability and stability issues. Besides, greater flexibility for the processor can mean less flexibility for the system. Some vendors are concerned that Intel's approach will lock them into Intel's camp and relatively reduce the value of their products. The MMO, of course, doesn't support processors from AMD, Cyrix, Digital Semiconductor, and other companies.
Acer is one of the first companies to implement the MMO on its latest generation of notebooks. With the new architecture, users with little technical know-how will for the first time be able to replace the notebook CPU, says Brian Chong, director of the mobile system business unit at Acer. Moreover, user
s will be able to upgrade to forthcoming generations of processors.
The price of the 233-MHz Tillamook processor is expected to be around $520 by the end of the year, while the 266-MHz version will be about $650. By November, when Intel drops its processor prices, the current 166-MHz mobile Pentium MMX is expected to fall from about $480 to $375.
Several notebook heavyweights have introduced Tillamook-powered notebooks on the heels of Intel's release. IBM has released the ThinkPad 770, a high-end notebook with the new chip. Toshiba has announced a new Tecra portable with a 233-MHz Tillamook. Digital and Compaq have exhibited similar models that are priced starting at about $4000.
In Taiwan, notebook makers looking to meet OEM customers' needs have lined up to support the new technology. A host of them -- including Acer,
Asustek Computer
, Chuntex Electronic, Clevo, Compal Electronics, First International Computer, Mitac International, Twinhead International, Umax Data Sy
stems, and more -- showed products designed to run Tillamook and MMX technology.
Acer rolled out the
TravelMate 7100
, a notebook that supports Intel's 233-MHz Tillamook. It comes with a 12.1- or 13.3-inch active-matrix screen and includes 32 MB of synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), a 2-GB
hard drive
, and a 128-bit graphics accelerator with 2 MB of video memory.
Both Mitac and Clevo have exhibited a Tillamook-based notebook.
Mitac's 6031
sports a powerful 233-MHz Pentium processor and a brilliant 14.1-inch active-matrix display.
The leading notebook from Clevo is the
Model 66
, which in its latest version has an MMX-compliant Tillamook 200- or 233-MHz CPU. Eventually, this machine may come with a 14.1-inch LCD, but for now, it comes with a 12.1- or 13.3-inch screen. The Clevo 66 also has a Zoomed Video (ZV) port and fast infrared (IR).
Pentium II
In the first quarter of next year, Intel will extend it
s notebook module strategy to mobile Pentium II processors with 233-and 266-MHz clock speeds. Deschutes is the first version of the Pentium II geared for notebooks. Intel has been promising that the transition from Pentium MMX to Pentium II will be relatively easy, because the new module will also be able to accommodate the first generation of mobile Pentium II processors. However, many notebook manufacturers are skeptical, because they face formidable power and heat problems with Pentium II designs.
Notebook makers say that the modules the chip will come packed in won't fit into their latest ultrathin computers. It will be available for notebooks in the 2.75- by 4-inch MMO, on which Intel delivers its 200-MHz Tillamook chips, and in a mobile derivative of Intel's single-edge cartridge used for desktop Pentium IIs.
Beyond the packaging issues, many Taiwan-based notebook makers said that Deschutes will raise power and thermal issues in their designs. The new designs will centralize the heat in one
place in the notebook. The first Taiwanese company that obtained a Deschutes sample from Intel has conducted full tests on the system upgrade. It says that the result is not as bad as makers were speculating. The manufacturer, which asked not to be named, points out that the new design provides an easy upgrade path that will allow end users to enjoy fresh technology as soon as it arrives.
Longer Battery Life
For a few companies, battery life is a major selling point. Acer, for instance, boasted the longest battery life on its TravelMate 7100 using Intel's latest 233-MHz Pentium processor. The product, which is powered by a single lithium-ion battery pack, clocked an impressive time between 8 to over 10 hours, according to Acer.
Intel will release power guidelines for OEMs, hardware component makers, and OS and application vendors. Using Intel's Power Monitor -- a tool that measures power levels during the software-development process -- independent software vendors (ISVs) can write softwa
re specifically for the mobile market. Others say that they can achieve longer battery time by adding hot-swappable battery packs. Of course, the trade-off is the extra weight.
Currently, mainstream models costing between $2000 and $3000 come with either 11.3- or 12.1-inch screens. But vendors predict that LCD panels with sizes smaller than 12 inches will be obsolete in 1998, as the cost of large-size LCDs keeps falling dramatically. At present, the difference between a 14-inch screen and a 12-inch screen is $1000.
However, even though the larger LCDs let users work at 1024- by 768-pixel resolution without eyestrain, they consume a lot of power. Alan Su, product manager at Clevo, says, "Large screens probably constitute less than 3 percent of the market at the moment."
Nevertheless, K. C. Chang, product manager at Mitac, points out that the so-called meganote machines, with LCD sizes from 14 to 15 inches, are exceptionally popular in the Japanese market. Mitac introduced the world's first 14
.1-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD-equipped model early this year. "Many corporations in Japan have started to use portables as desktop PCs," Chang says, "because they lack desktop space."
More notebooks are being used for multimedia presentations. As a result, cutting-edge notebooks are available with up to a 3-GB hard drive. In addition, many companies have included LS-120 floppy drives as a replacement for existing 3-1/2-inch floppy drives in notebooks.
The LS-120 provides 120 MB of storage at five times the speed of a standard 1.44-MB drive but can still read and write 1.44-MB formatted data on the older disks. Some say they expect the market for LS-120 floppy drives to grow considerably during the second half of next year.
DVD and Videoconferencing
Major Japanese firms, including Matsushita Electric, Panasonic, and Toshiba, announced their first DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc) drives for use in notebooks.
In addition to reading DVD-ROM discs, Matsushita's SR-8183 can
also read CDs (at 20X speed), CD Recordable (CD-R) discs, and CD Rewritable (CD-RW) discs. With the fast CD-ROM reading, Matsushita claims the new drive is also the fastest such unit available for notebooks. Toshiba's unit features CD-ROM reading at 16X speed, slower than the Matsushita unit, but reads DVD-ROM discs at double speed. Panasonic's MKE drive reads DVD-ROM discs at 1.5X speed. Most major makers will release DVD-enabled notebooks to keep up with the competition.
Thanks to the increasingly powerful platforms and finalized H.324 interoperability standard, the mobile computer is rapidly emerging as an important videoconferencing platform. Many notebook vendors plan to roll out videoconferencing-ready models in 1998. Acer, Clevo, and Mitac will introduce videoconferencing kits as an option next year. Standard packages will include a 56-Kbps modem, a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera module, a video-capture card, and software.
The latest advances in telecommunications and image-sensor tech
nologies have enabled hardware makers to bring out a solid array of videoconferencing solutions that offer up to 15 frames per second of live video. Says Su: "Videoconferencing will become standard on notebooks."
What more can we expect in the next few years? Definitely look for the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) and possibly networking. All companies in Taiwan claim they have AGP-ready models on the drawing board. Some systems will even come with networking devices.
Where to Find
Acer, Inc.
Taipei Hsien, Taiwan
Phone: +886 2 696 1234
Fax: +886 2 8691 2384
E-mail:
BrianChong@acer.com.tw
Internet:
http://www.acer.com
Next-Generation Notebooks
