Intel Splits The Atom
White coats at the world’s largest processor monopoly manufacturer have built the smallest processor using the smallest transistors.The Intel Atom family of low-power processors designed specifically for mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and a new class of simple and affordable Internet-centric computers arriving later this year.
Together, these new market segments represent a significant new opportunity for world domination to grow the overall market for Intel silicon, using the Intel Atom processor as the foundation. The company also announced the Intel Centrino Atom processor technology brand for MID platforms, consisting of multiple chips that claim to improve Internet in a pocketable device.
The Intel Atom processor is based on an entirely new microarchitecture designed specifically for small devices and low power, while maintaining the Intel Core 2 Duo instruction set compatibility when using a standard PC. The design also includes support for multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness, said Intel. All of this on a chip that measures less than 25mm², making it Intel’s smallest and lowest power processor yet to dat. Up to 11 Intel Atom processor die - the wee slivers of silicon packed with 47 million transistors each - would fit in an area the size of an American penny.
