Platform of Intel-compatible netbooks: Pine Trail, CULV, Ion. And their near (2009-2010) future
I wrote a lot about netbooks on platforms incompatible with Intel (in particular, ARM) - 1 , 2 , 3 .
It's time to talk about the mainstream - about netbooks with Intel processors and compatible with them according to the instructions of processors (including VIA, AMD). In other words, about Intel-compatible platforms. For many users, it is important that they can be installed on Windows. (You can also install Linux, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD, OS / 2, Android and many other operating systems, of course).
The following discussion focuses on the three aging platforms of netbooks - Intel Atom, VIA C7, AMD Yukon , the actively developing CULV , Nvidia Ion , which came out to netbook buyers this week, and of course, Intel 's upcoming Pine Trail , due in 2009 ( but not the fact that it comes out). And, of course, about some netbooks on it.
So, two words about the platforms themselves.
')
Outdated technologies :
1. The Intel Atom platform (N270) does not need representation on the netbook market. The default netbook today is compiled on the Intel Atom. This is a low-power single-core solution of moderate performance, operating at 1.6 GHz (N270), in the latest version - 1.66 GHz (N280). It stands in netbooks of almost all manufacturers, including the classics of the genre - Asus.
2. AMD Yukon was released on January 8, 2009 and was focused on ultra-portable laptops (ultra-portable notebook). Do you have a favorite netbook on this platform? I do not have.
3. VIA C-7 ULV - modest and low-power (from 3.5 watts), cheap and low-performing (even compared to Intel Atom) processors with frequencies from 1.0 to 1.6 GHz. Specifications and power comparisons with Intel . The choice for the budget platform, where extremely critical low power consumption. I actually love VIA. But with this decision they did not convince me at all!
Tired, new and developing platforms.
4. Nvidia Ion was developed for a long time and gave all sorts of hopes - and then, finally, netbooks on Ion began to appear on sale . The platform includes NVIDIA's GeForce 9400M (MCP79) GPU, DDR3-1066 (!) Memory or DDR2-800 SDRAM, and the Intel Atom already familiar to us, which is also used outside it. Microsoft certified the platform as compatible with Vista, and certifies as compatible with Windows 7. The platform is compatible with DirectX 9 and 10. But most importantly, it is the first one to be actually 100% compatible with HD-video solution. That is, strictly speaking, it can play 1080p HD (high-definition) video with true-fidelity 7.1 surround sound. Samsung N510 got out of the line and went to customers with DirectX 9. The rest of the netbooks on Ion will be on DirectX 10. Lenovo machines (will be Ion modification S12), Asus, Acer, Samsung (N510 on Win7) and other manufacturers will appear all after October 22 - when Windows 7 comes out. Many people are already dreaming about such a machine today, and are saving up money. In practice, this is a great netbook for viewing quality video without problems and without lags. For many consumers, this completely exhausts the necessary and sufficient functionality of the netbook (especially if the house already has a powerful gaming PC, or a modern gaming console). That is, there is a clear expectation that this will be in some way a perfect solution to the idea of a netbook.
5. CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage, ultra low voltage consumer platform) is fully developed by intel, but not for netbooks , but for so-called ultraportable, often convolving laptops. As we understand, the boundary between the classes of devices is very conditional and often artificial, and these solutions penetrate the netbook market (as well as almost netbooks, and already non-netbooks) from above. Single-core processors operate at frequencies from 1.2 GHz (Celeron M ULV 723) to 1.4 GHz (Core 2 Solo SU3500), dual-core from 1.2 GHz (Pentium SU2300) to 1.6 GHz (Core 2 Duo SU9600). High-performance modern architectural solutions allow them to easily beat the performance of conventional processors of comparable clock speeds. It is important that they are very small, their power is 10 watts at a supply voltage of 1.05 Volts, which allows them to be used in ultraportable solutions. Such processors are the basis for creating much more efficient netbooks (and lightweight notebooks) compared to the Intel Atom. However, they will be significantly more expensive than the usual netbooks. The official price of the Core 2 Duo SU960 is $ 289 (there;). The official price of modern ARM processors for netbooks is from $ 8. The final price of the device differs even more significantly (in monetary terms). This allows many to assume CULV-devices are not netbooks at all, and not to consider them as netbooks.
Here is an example. We all think MSI U100 is a netbook, right? But officially announced today MSI Wind U200 (AKA MSI Wind12).
A diagonal of 12.1 inches, weight 1.4 kg with a three-cell battery, on a processor Core 2 Solo 1.4 GHz. The processor is much more productive than the Intel Atom. I don’t even want to think about the price.
Is it a netbook, do you think? This is it. Rather, it is a small, but not the easiest laptop.
6. On the flowchart - a new platform from Intel: Pine Trail. We see that the Intel PineView processor (Intel Atom N450) itself includes both a memory controller and a graphics controller. This allows you to reduce all overhead costs, simplify the design, improve the performance of the entire system as a whole and at the same time reduce energy consumption. In short, this is what I would call a progressive architectural solution .
No matter how much we criticize Intel's monopoly, it remains the recognized leader and leader in innovation in the design, development and production of processors.
When released? The platform was first promised in 2009. Then she was expected in October on netbooks . After this release was planned in the 4th quarter of 2009. Now there are rumors that it will be released in 2010, and the release dates are no longer called. They say that the platform is ready. But Intel does not want to rock the netbook market , imagine! Various versions of what is happening are called, but all analysts agree on one thing - Intel does not want to eat its own market of processors, which are still being successfully sold, and are trying to extract everything from it. That is, the reasons for the delay are far from technical, and are purely marketing in nature - everyone agrees on that.
But what about netbooks on Pine Trail? Where to go and what should netbook manufacturers and buyers do?
As I understand the situation, netbook manufacturers pin all their hopes on Pine Trail.
Asus and Acer suspended the development of new netbooks until Q1 2010 . These companies are hoping for the release of intel Pine Trail by this date. What will they do now? Apparently, produce expensive and heavy culv. In fashion - 11.6 and 12.1 inch screens, and not the lightest weight. Fans of lightweight netbooks - I have bad predictions for you for these six months in the sense of the Intel platform. You will have to wait until 2010, or think about ARM.
Yesterday's news only strengthens me in this opinion. It became known that MSI postponed the U150 until 2010 . This, alas, is already official information. This machine is delayed:
It has a lot of tasty - in particular, resistive touchscreen, and Windows 7. At the same time, MSI officially announced that Intel will present Pine Trail at CES 2010. Thus, rumors of a delay in the release of this platform, alas, turned into confidence and received full confirmation.
What will MSI do in the near future? Yesterday he released MSI Wind U200 on CULV, and you don’t have to be a prophet to understand that he will also release CULV. And in early September, MSI launches Wind U210, on the aforementioned AMD Yukon platform. Specs? Until the pain familiar. 1GB of memory, 160GB HDD, Windows XP, prices start at $ 379 (there they have). Nothing new.
And so (in the sense of netbooks) manufacturers will sit and look at Intel until the release itself.
Summary.
Unlike ARM, on Intel compatible platforms, there will probably not be a particular fan and no bright breakthroughs in 2009 and 2010. In late 2009, netbooks will be released on Ion and Windows 7. 2010 will be marked by the release of the next Intel platform for netbooks (Pine Trail). But it will surely increase the performance of netbooks, as well as, apparently, the price. What will inevitably affect the rise in price of Intel compatible netbooks. The leader in the development and production of processors, apparently, will remain, as before, Intel. The main operating system on the platform will remain Windows, first of all it is Windows XP and Windows 7.
Consequences
1. Consumers who are interested in light and inexpensive netbooks (size & price!) Should not expect the machine of their dreams in the field of Intel - Microsoft in the next year and a half. It makes sense for them to start looking closely at the netbooks that meet their expectations on other, cheaper and mobile platforms. Very interesting devices may appear here, although they will be damp at first, and the software (exactly - until Q2 2010) will leave much to be desired.
2. Consumers interested in productivity growth regardless of the price, it makes sense to think about more high-grade (and expensive!) Machines, such as the CULV, in terms of mass and size similar to today's large netbooks. Everything will be quite dull and smooth, but reliable. And expensive.
3. I do not think that there will be machines on Intel in 2009-2010 that will at least please us as close as the small cheap netbooks Asus eeePC 701 and especially Asus eeePC 901 pleased. Alas.
You cannot enter the same river twice.
It's time to talk about the mainstream - about netbooks with Intel processors and compatible with them according to the instructions of processors (including VIA, AMD). In other words, about Intel-compatible platforms. For many users, it is important that they can be installed on Windows. (You can also install Linux, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD, OS / 2, Android and many other operating systems, of course).
The following discussion focuses on the three aging platforms of netbooks - Intel Atom, VIA C7, AMD Yukon , the actively developing CULV , Nvidia Ion , which came out to netbook buyers this week, and of course, Intel 's upcoming Pine Trail , due in 2009 ( but not the fact that it comes out). And, of course, about some netbooks on it.
So, two words about the platforms themselves.
')
Outdated technologies :
1. The Intel Atom platform (N270) does not need representation on the netbook market. The default netbook today is compiled on the Intel Atom. This is a low-power single-core solution of moderate performance, operating at 1.6 GHz (N270), in the latest version - 1.66 GHz (N280). It stands in netbooks of almost all manufacturers, including the classics of the genre - Asus.
2. AMD Yukon was released on January 8, 2009 and was focused on ultra-portable laptops (ultra-portable notebook). Do you have a favorite netbook on this platform? I do not have.
3. VIA C-7 ULV - modest and low-power (from 3.5 watts), cheap and low-performing (even compared to Intel Atom) processors with frequencies from 1.0 to 1.6 GHz. Specifications and power comparisons with Intel . The choice for the budget platform, where extremely critical low power consumption. I actually love VIA. But with this decision they did not convince me at all!
Tired, new and developing platforms.
4. Nvidia Ion was developed for a long time and gave all sorts of hopes - and then, finally, netbooks on Ion began to appear on sale . The platform includes NVIDIA's GeForce 9400M (MCP79) GPU, DDR3-1066 (!) Memory or DDR2-800 SDRAM, and the Intel Atom already familiar to us, which is also used outside it. Microsoft certified the platform as compatible with Vista, and certifies as compatible with Windows 7. The platform is compatible with DirectX 9 and 10. But most importantly, it is the first one to be actually 100% compatible with HD-video solution. That is, strictly speaking, it can play 1080p HD (high-definition) video with true-fidelity 7.1 surround sound. Samsung N510 got out of the line and went to customers with DirectX 9. The rest of the netbooks on Ion will be on DirectX 10. Lenovo machines (will be Ion modification S12), Asus, Acer, Samsung (N510 on Win7) and other manufacturers will appear all after October 22 - when Windows 7 comes out. Many people are already dreaming about such a machine today, and are saving up money. In practice, this is a great netbook for viewing quality video without problems and without lags. For many consumers, this completely exhausts the necessary and sufficient functionality of the netbook (especially if the house already has a powerful gaming PC, or a modern gaming console). That is, there is a clear expectation that this will be in some way a perfect solution to the idea of a netbook.
5. CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage, ultra low voltage consumer platform) is fully developed by intel, but not for netbooks , but for so-called ultraportable, often convolving laptops. As we understand, the boundary between the classes of devices is very conditional and often artificial, and these solutions penetrate the netbook market (as well as almost netbooks, and already non-netbooks) from above. Single-core processors operate at frequencies from 1.2 GHz (Celeron M ULV 723) to 1.4 GHz (Core 2 Solo SU3500), dual-core from 1.2 GHz (Pentium SU2300) to 1.6 GHz (Core 2 Duo SU9600). High-performance modern architectural solutions allow them to easily beat the performance of conventional processors of comparable clock speeds. It is important that they are very small, their power is 10 watts at a supply voltage of 1.05 Volts, which allows them to be used in ultraportable solutions. Such processors are the basis for creating much more efficient netbooks (and lightweight notebooks) compared to the Intel Atom. However, they will be significantly more expensive than the usual netbooks. The official price of the Core 2 Duo SU960 is $ 289 (there;). The official price of modern ARM processors for netbooks is from $ 8. The final price of the device differs even more significantly (in monetary terms). This allows many to assume CULV-devices are not netbooks at all, and not to consider them as netbooks.
Here is an example. We all think MSI U100 is a netbook, right? But officially announced today MSI Wind U200 (AKA MSI Wind12).
A diagonal of 12.1 inches, weight 1.4 kg with a three-cell battery, on a processor Core 2 Solo 1.4 GHz. The processor is much more productive than the Intel Atom. I don’t even want to think about the price.
Is it a netbook, do you think? This is it. Rather, it is a small, but not the easiest laptop.
6. On the flowchart - a new platform from Intel: Pine Trail. We see that the Intel PineView processor (Intel Atom N450) itself includes both a memory controller and a graphics controller. This allows you to reduce all overhead costs, simplify the design, improve the performance of the entire system as a whole and at the same time reduce energy consumption. In short, this is what I would call a progressive architectural solution .
No matter how much we criticize Intel's monopoly, it remains the recognized leader and leader in innovation in the design, development and production of processors.
When released? The platform was first promised in 2009. Then she was expected in October on netbooks . After this release was planned in the 4th quarter of 2009. Now there are rumors that it will be released in 2010, and the release dates are no longer called. They say that the platform is ready. But Intel does not want to rock the netbook market , imagine! Various versions of what is happening are called, but all analysts agree on one thing - Intel does not want to eat its own market of processors, which are still being successfully sold, and are trying to extract everything from it. That is, the reasons for the delay are far from technical, and are purely marketing in nature - everyone agrees on that.
But what about netbooks on Pine Trail? Where to go and what should netbook manufacturers and buyers do?
As I understand the situation, netbook manufacturers pin all their hopes on Pine Trail.
Asus and Acer suspended the development of new netbooks until Q1 2010 . These companies are hoping for the release of intel Pine Trail by this date. What will they do now? Apparently, produce expensive and heavy culv. In fashion - 11.6 and 12.1 inch screens, and not the lightest weight. Fans of lightweight netbooks - I have bad predictions for you for these six months in the sense of the Intel platform. You will have to wait until 2010, or think about ARM.
Yesterday's news only strengthens me in this opinion. It became known that MSI postponed the U150 until 2010 . This, alas, is already official information. This machine is delayed:
It has a lot of tasty - in particular, resistive touchscreen, and Windows 7. At the same time, MSI officially announced that Intel will present Pine Trail at CES 2010. Thus, rumors of a delay in the release of this platform, alas, turned into confidence and received full confirmation.
What will MSI do in the near future? Yesterday he released MSI Wind U200 on CULV, and you don’t have to be a prophet to understand that he will also release CULV. And in early September, MSI launches Wind U210, on the aforementioned AMD Yukon platform. Specs? Until the pain familiar. 1GB of memory, 160GB HDD, Windows XP, prices start at $ 379 (there they have). Nothing new.
And so (in the sense of netbooks) manufacturers will sit and look at Intel until the release itself.
Summary.
Unlike ARM, on Intel compatible platforms, there will probably not be a particular fan and no bright breakthroughs in 2009 and 2010. In late 2009, netbooks will be released on Ion and Windows 7. 2010 will be marked by the release of the next Intel platform for netbooks (Pine Trail). But it will surely increase the performance of netbooks, as well as, apparently, the price. What will inevitably affect the rise in price of Intel compatible netbooks. The leader in the development and production of processors, apparently, will remain, as before, Intel. The main operating system on the platform will remain Windows, first of all it is Windows XP and Windows 7.
Consequences
1. Consumers who are interested in light and inexpensive netbooks (size & price!) Should not expect the machine of their dreams in the field of Intel - Microsoft in the next year and a half. It makes sense for them to start looking closely at the netbooks that meet their expectations on other, cheaper and mobile platforms. Very interesting devices may appear here, although they will be damp at first, and the software (exactly - until Q2 2010) will leave much to be desired.
2. Consumers interested in productivity growth regardless of the price, it makes sense to think about more high-grade (and expensive!) Machines, such as the CULV, in terms of mass and size similar to today's large netbooks. Everything will be quite dull and smooth, but reliable. And expensive.
3. I do not think that there will be machines on Intel in 2009-2010 that will at least please us as close as the small cheap netbooks Asus eeePC 701 and especially Asus eeePC 901 pleased. Alas.
You cannot enter the same river twice.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/68110/
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