Intel just announced their newest and smallest lineup of processors, the Intel Atom and Intel Centrino Atom. Fabricated from the world’s smallest transistors, the chip measures less than 25 mm², making it Intel’s smallest and lowest power processor yet.
The Intel® Atomâ„¢ processor will be the name for a new 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 to grow the overall market for Intel silicon, using the Intel Atom processor as the foundation. The company also announced the Intel® Centrino® Atomâ„¢ processor technology brand for MID platforms, consisting of multiple chips that enable the best Internet experience in a pocketable device. {source}
These new Intel chips (codenamed Silverthorne/Diamondville) will be manufactured on a 45nm process. The chips have a thermal design power (TDP) specification in 0.6-2.5 watt range and scale up to 1.8GHz. Today’s regular mobile Core 2 Duo processors have a TDP in the 35-watt range. Huge, huge improvements in that category.
During the recent Intel Developer Forum, the company demoed the future of UMPCs using the MID platform. The prototype (an obvious homage to the Apple iPod) was rumored to have WiFi, WiMax and a 24-hour battery life on a single charge.
