and interesting with it's look, i read the specs, and i found that it cored by intel atom. As a newbie i don't really know about Intel Atom, so i try to look in the internet about this processor specification. And finally this is the Intel Atom specification:
March 3, 2008 Recognizing that personal computing is increasingly going mobile and that the computer industry is rapidly developing new classes of products to connect the next billion people to the Internet, Intel have announced the Intel Atom processor - 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. The company also announced the Intel Centrino Atom processor technology for MID platforms, consisting of multiple chips that enable the best Internet experience in a pocketable device.
The Intel Atom processor is based on an entirely new micro-architecture designed specifically for small devices and low power, while maintaining the Intel Core 2 Duo instruction set compatibility consumers are accustomed to when using a standard PC and the Internet. The design also includes support for multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness. All of this on a chip that measures less than 25 mm², making it Intel’s smallest and lowest power processor yet. These new chips, previously codenamed Silverthorne and Diamondville, will be manufactured in Intel’s 45nm process with hi-k metal gate technology. The chips have a thermal design power (TDP) specification in 0.6-2.5 watt range and scale to 1.8GHz speeds depending on customer need. By comparison, today’s mainstream mobile Core 2 Duo processors have a TDP in the 35-watt range. The Intel Centrino Atom processor technology, formerly codenamed “Menlow,” includes the Intel Atom processor, a low-power companion chip with integrated graphics, a wireless radio, and thinner and lighter designs.
In addition to the MID opportunity, Intel believes the demand for a new category of low-cost, Internet-centric mobile computing devices dubbed “netbooks” and basic Internet-centric desktop PCs dubbed “nettops,” will grow substantially over the next several years and the Intel Atom processor is designed to meet the needs of these new market segments. Intel said the Intel Atom processor also has potential for future revenue opportunities in consumer electronic devices, embedded applications and thin clients.
Intel formally announced its next-generation mobile device chips products, Atom and Centrino Atom, aimed at helping x86 regain its footing in the embedded and device markets. The chips use a new x86-compatible micro-architecture with an in-order pipeline, similar to ARM. Built on 45 nanometer process technology and using "High-K" metal gate transistor technologies, the Atom processor fits onto a 25mm by 25mm die, even with tons of cache. It will use a tenth the power of its mobile Core2 Duo "ULV" chips, Intel says, while scaling to 1.8GHz speeds.
It is likely that the Atom will reach the market only as part of the Intel Centrino Atom chipset, which combines the CPU with a "Poulsbo" companion chip that integrates northbridge and southbridge. Designed to meet the needs of Intel's "Mobile Internet Device" (MID) specification for handheld devices, the Centrino Atom chipset can also optionally include WiFi, WiMax, and other peripheral chips. The chipset will also be available with a penny-sized, 16GB solid state disk called the Z-P140.
ARM's latest offering, meanwhile, is the Cortex-A8 core, which was recently embraced by Texas Instruments (TI) in its OMAP3 applications processors. Incorporating a dual-issue design that can clock up to 1GHz, the Cortex-A8 is claimed to use less than 300mW when implemented using 65nm technology. TI reports that its benchmarks show the Cortex-A8 performing at up to 1200 Dhrystone MIPS (millions of instructions per second).
ARM vs. Atom
There's much to like about the Intel Atom, writes Williston in EETimes. Yet, he suggests, the media and its readers may have been overwhelmed by the hype machine. Williston offers the following responses to typical arguments from the atomic power lobbyists, at times quoting analysts such as Forward Concepts's Will Strauss to back him up:
* Atom will beat ARM because it can run Vista. -- No it can't, says Williston. Atom can run Windows CE and Linux, but ARM can do the same.
* Only Atom offers a "real" Internet experience with Flash video, YouTube, etc. -- "Wrong," writes Williston, pointing to ARM Flash players from BSquare, and an ARM-based YouTube decoder from On2. He might also have noted that Nokia's ARM- and Linux-based Internet tablets use a Mozilla-based browser, with plugins for Flash, Windows Media files, and even Microsoft's Flash-like Silverlight technology.
* Intel dominates every market it enters. Here, the writer refers the reader to the history books, especially two years ago when Intel sold its PXA line of embedded processors to Marvell after failing to dominate the market for ARM-based SoCs.
* Atom will win because ARM is proprietary technology. Nope, he writes. ARM chips are available from a number of semiconductor vendors.
* Intel will win on cost. Not likely, he writes. Using a 65nm process, the Cortex-A8 occupies less than 3mm x 3mm, he notes, while the Atom core probably takes up about 9mm x 9mm of Atom's 25mm x 25mm die size, despite its smaller 45nm process. "With such a huge area disadvantage, it's hard to see how Intel will win on cost," he writes.
* Intel will win on power. Once again, not likely, he argues. Intel quotes a thermal design power (TDP) of 0.6W to 2W for Atom, he writes, but doesn't specify clock speeds. ARM offers only "typical" power measurements, making comparison difficult. But at best, he suggests, Intel matches ARM on power usage, while "in most scenarios, Atom burns more power."
* Intel will win because it has the most advanced fabs. Perhaps, he writes, but who cares? "Consumers focus on cost, power and speed," he writes.
In the end, Williston admits that the Intel Atom will likely run faster than ARM chips, especially for applications that exploit Atom's support for dual-threading. He also allows that "the most important versions of Atom are still a year or two away" when the chip will "integrate graphics and a memory controller." This, however, is a bit of a two-edged sword, as the embedded device market is exploding now, and ARM seems to be everywhere, along with Via and other potential competitors not mentioned in the article.
Perhaps the Atom's biggest advantage is its inherently superior support for PC applications, which could bring more well-tested x86 software to set-top boxes (STBs), automotive infotainment devices, ultra-mobile computers, and devices like the TiVo. The advantage is especially acute with games. "If Intel can leverage the large base of existing PC games it could outflank ARM with mobile gaming devices," he writes.
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