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Full Article - Intel's Broadwell: What Happens When the MacBook Air Is Thinner Than the iPad Air? | Tech Buzz | TechNewsWorld
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Intel on Monday introduced its Broadwell processor platform to the world, and it is an impressive piece of technology. Stepping outside of its normal two-step process of first releasing the processor and then updating the platform, Intel is doing both this cycle, and the end result is a massive step forward in terms of size and power efficiency. Intel is stepping solidly into turf once owned by the ARM technology most commonly found in tablets and smartphones.
The prototype tablet Intel is showcasing with the launch -- which runs full OSes like Windows and OS X -- is actually both thinner and lighter than an iPad Air, which creates an interesting problem for the slowing tablet market. What if you could get full Windows and OS X in a form factor thinner and lighter than an iPad Air?
I'll dive into what this massive improvement in processing capability means and close with my product of the week: the rather impressive Timex Ironman One GPS+ Smartwatch, based on Qualcomm's Toq platform.
Intel Broadwell
Last week I was prebriefed on Intel's announcement, and while it was easy -- way too easy -- to get lost in how they made this happen, the reality is that this may be the most significant technical advancement that Intel has made in a processor since the creation of x86. There is really very little, including process technology, that has been left unchanged by this move.
This was the culmination of a massive near company-wide effort to counter the threat represented by ARM, to create PC-level performance in an ARM-level energy and heat envelope. In other words, this was one of the most massive efforts I've ever seen Intel -- or any company -- undertake, and the result is stunning.
The showcase prototype tablet is thinner and lighter than an iPad Air, and it runs full operating systems and their mobile counterparts. Both Apple and Microsoft have been hinting at converging their mobile and desktop platforms to maximize their apps and minimize their support costs, but they have been somewhat reticent -- in part because tablet platforms couldn't support their desktop efforts, and desktop platforms wouldn't work in a Tablet like the iPad Air.
Well, that just changed -- and right now, Intel is the only vendor that can cover the tablet and desktop segments adequately with a single architecture. Part of this is getting the thermals of the processor down so that, like ARM, you don't need a fan.
The prototype tablet Intel is showcasing with the launch -- which runs full OSes like Windows and OS X -- is actually both thinner and lighter than an iPad Air, which creates an interesting problem for the slowing tablet market. What if you could get full Windows and OS X in a form factor thinner and lighter than an iPad Air?
I'll dive into what this massive improvement in processing capability means and close with my product of the week: the rather impressive Timex Ironman One GPS+ Smartwatch, based on Qualcomm's Toq platform.
Intel Broadwell
Last week I was prebriefed on Intel's announcement, and while it was easy -- way too easy -- to get lost in how they made this happen, the reality is that this may be the most significant technical advancement that Intel has made in a processor since the creation of x86. There is really very little, including process technology, that has been left unchanged by this move.
This was the culmination of a massive near company-wide effort to counter the threat represented by ARM, to create PC-level performance in an ARM-level energy and heat envelope. In other words, this was one of the most massive efforts I've ever seen Intel -- or any company -- undertake, and the result is stunning.
The showcase prototype tablet is thinner and lighter than an iPad Air, and it runs full operating systems and their mobile counterparts. Both Apple and Microsoft have been hinting at converging their mobile and desktop platforms to maximize their apps and minimize their support costs, but they have been somewhat reticent -- in part because tablet platforms couldn't support their desktop efforts, and desktop platforms wouldn't work in a Tablet like the iPad Air.
Well, that just changed -- and right now, Intel is the only vendor that can cover the tablet and desktop segments adequately with a single architecture. Part of this is getting the thermals of the processor down so that, like ARM, you don't need a fan.