ZDNet heeft een artikel gepost over Intel's 'PC-on-a-chip' Timna processor. Door de videokaart, memory controller en CPU in één verpakking te stoppen kunnen instapmodellen nog goedkoper worden aangeboden, geschat wordt voor zo'n $400 dollar.
To that end, the company will offer Timna, which is based on Intel's new 0.18-micron manufacturing process, in the second half of next year.Timna will combine a Pentium processor core developed specifically for this low-cost market with a graphics engine and memory controller. By combining these three functions into a single chip, Intel says it will lower PC makers' overall component costs and reduce the size of the motherboard needed for Timna-based a system, another cost-saving measure.
Cost savings allow PC makers to charge less for a given system. But for end users, the chip promises even lower entry-level pricing. Such PCs can be viewed as the equivalent of entry-level automobiles, which are relatively inexpensive, but meet all of the basic needs of the customer. Their low cost may also encourage those buyers who have not yet purchased PCs to jump on the bandwagon.
