With an emphasis on the freedom of wireless technology, Intel has kicked off a campaign to push a new, faster set of Pentium 4 Processor-M (mobile) chips to the mobile computing market.
At a launch event inside New York's Grand Central Terminal, Intel introduced three new Processor-M chips running at speeds of 1.4GHz, 1.5GHz, and 1.8GHz. All are based on Intel's NetBurst chip architecture, which improves the quality of graphic-rich applications and Internet-related computing, according to Intel.
Flanked by a number of its mobile computer OEM partners including Dell Computer, IBM, Compaq, and WinBook, Intel's message was that consumers are demanding untethered, high-performance mobile computing in their daily lives, and that such technology exists today.
The new Processor-M chips deliver added horsepower to more effectively drive wireless accessories on laptops, such as Bluetooth for wireless PANs (personal area networks) and 802.11 for wireless LANs (local area networks), said Don MacDonald, the director of marketing for Intel's mobile processor division. The increased clock speeds of the new Processor-M chips also improve the performance of popular applications such as digital music, photography, and gaming, he said.
Pricing for the new Intel Pentium 4 Processor-M chips starts at $US637 for a 1.8GHz chip, $268 for a 1.5GHz chip, and $198 for a 1.4GHz chip, when purchased in 1,000-chip bundles, according to Intel.
All of the OEM laptop systems that were on display at the launch running the new Pentium 4 Processor-M chips were suited with either Bluetooth, 802.11, or a combination of both wireless technologies.
Earlier this week, Intel cut prices by as much as 27 per cent on some existing mobile chips, apparently in preparation for the launch. The first mobile Pentium 4 processors were launched in March.