IDF 2008: Moorestown: Atom's successor by 2010

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Intel continued its mobile charm offensive at its developer Forum in San Francisco today by teasing the audience by waving around the first wafer of Atom’s successor code named Moorestown.

The next-gen platform should be on the scene by 2010 and is on track, according to the chip giant who used the progress report as an opportunity to remind us that for the mobile internet to be truly successful – whether using current Atom tech or Moorestown – developers can’t hold back.

During his keynote speech, Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager for the Ultra Mobility Group,, said that performance, availability and technical plug-ins were key, but that broadband-like connectivity was also essential.

“Without connectivity, it’s like sipping a massive amount of data through a very, very thin straw,” he said.

Bringing a colleague on stage to demonstrate what he was talking about through show and tell, Chandrasekher managed to get across the message that Intel has much grander plans for the mobile space. Mobile plans we’ll have to wait to find out more about, alas.

While 2008 looks set to be the year of high definition (HD), Intel is determined that the mobile space won’t become a poor relation, according to Chandrasekher.

“Those are milestone capabilities that are silicon-enabled and what is possible going forward is only left to the imagination of you guys,” he told the audience of assembled developers and media.

“Independent software vendors (ISVs) like games developers have typically resisted the handheld and mobile environments. Because of the fragmentation of that environment that haven’t really targeted it in a major way,” he added and with that beckoned the chief creative officer of Fuel Industries, Warren Tomlin, to the stage to demonstrate the first ‘digital happy meal’ complete with touch functionality.

“We’re really excited about what Intel is doing with Atom and MIDs as it means that we can actually take the web experience out of the family room or living room off of the computer and onto the MID,” Tomlin said.

And what of Moorestown? Apart from saying that it will reduce idle power by a factor of at least 10, Chandrasekher teased the silicon-hungry developers further by advising that they’d have to go to the next IDF in Taiwan to find out more.

“We’re at an inflection point that’s going to drive a lot more [excitement and opportunities],” he concluded. “We’re absolutely just at the beginning and extremely eager to work with all of you here.”

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