Given how slow Google is when releasing a new Android version on just 1 SoC and how long it takes others to make it work on their own SoCs, i wouldn't put too much weight on this announcement. Intel might get to be the first at some point ,when they'll have a decent SoC, but until then they should be at a disadvantage. As for Nvidia they only got lots of wins in tablets because everybody (or almost) wanted to avoid more delays in getting tablets to market. If it wasn't for that they would have very few wins.Looking forward they might have a crappy year if dual core Krait clocked north of 1.5GHz arrives in time. The key for Nvidia wasn't their focus on Android,Tegra 2 was the fastet SoC on the market and a good choice for Google. Going back to Intel,they don't even really care much about phones since there is little cash in it for them and the competition is tougher than in x86.They got to enter this space at some point,pretty soon,but there is no rush.
If they don't care about phones what are they doing Medfield for? Look at Moorestown - the only press we ever got for it was how it'd be in phones, and in the end it got almost no design wins (I can think of exactly one, an oddball hybrid that runs Windows 7 while also having an ARM SoC for running Symbian w/o killing your battery life). I'm sure it's not economical to make an entire platform that doesn't end up getting used in any products. But if Intel isn't aggressive with getting Medfield in phones the same thing is going to happen.
Back with Menlow there was at least a highly niche UMPC market but that's been mostly killed off, and MIDs as Intel envisioned them were subsumed at both ends by high end ARM phones and small ARM tablets.
Having been looking at this segment, Intel will miss it this year, but they have already started in Japan with the Fujitsu F-07C http://www.fujitsu.com/global/news/pr/archives/mon... It has a Intel Atom in it and comes with a full version of Win 7 32bit Home Premium SP1 and Office. The battery life isn't that good in Win7 mode ~2h, but still...
So, when they start shipping them with 2Gb or more of ram, a mini 1.8" either ssd or hdd with 128GB or (up to 320Gb for the hdd), that would be more interesting :-)
You will then notice more people going to these devices, since all they would need for the general joe is a keyboard/ mouse and a hdmi out. they k/b & mouse could even be BT that uses less energy if they forgot to pack their charger with them.
This is the exciting time for ARM vs Intel, like about a decade ago was AMD vs Intel for the pc / desktop arena. Now it is the mobile arena, i.e. phones, tablets, ultralights etc. basically SFF's.
Interesting thing ! it will be head or faster (likely faster) than 2012 quad core Arm devices... So the customer will be able choose between a fully x86 capable Tablet running Win 8 and a so so x86 capable (recompilation) Arm tablet running the same OS :). Will see the winner. From a perf. point of view DC Medfield will be surely faster running native x86 SW :). Arm has a competitor....finally !!!
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jjj - Saturday, September 17, 2011 - link
Given how slow Google is when releasing a new Android version on just 1 SoC and how long it takes others to make it work on their own SoCs, i wouldn't put too much weight on this announcement. Intel might get to be the first at some point ,when they'll have a decent SoC, but until then they should be at a disadvantage.As for Nvidia they only got lots of wins in tablets because everybody (or almost) wanted to avoid more delays in getting tablets to market. If it wasn't for that they would have very few wins.Looking forward they might have a crappy year if dual core Krait clocked north of 1.5GHz arrives in time. The key for Nvidia wasn't their focus on Android,Tegra 2 was the fastet SoC on the market and a good choice for Google.
Going back to Intel,they don't even really care much about phones since there is little cash in it for them and the competition is tougher than in x86.They got to enter this space at some point,pretty soon,but there is no rush.
Exophase - Monday, October 10, 2011 - link
If they don't care about phones what are they doing Medfield for? Look at Moorestown - the only press we ever got for it was how it'd be in phones, and in the end it got almost no design wins (I can think of exactly one, an oddball hybrid that runs Windows 7 while also having an ARM SoC for running Symbian w/o killing your battery life). I'm sure it's not economical to make an entire platform that doesn't end up getting used in any products. But if Intel isn't aggressive with getting Medfield in phones the same thing is going to happen.Back with Menlow there was at least a highly niche UMPC market but that's been mostly killed off, and MIDs as Intel envisioned them were subsumed at both ends by high end ARM phones and small ARM tablets.
Aries1470 - Saturday, September 17, 2011 - link
Having been looking at this segment, Intel will miss it this year, but they have already started in Japan with the Fujitsu F-07C http://www.fujitsu.com/global/news/pr/archives/mon...It has a Intel Atom in it and comes with a full version of Win 7 32bit Home Premium SP1 and Office.
The battery life isn't that good in Win7 mode ~2h, but still...
So, when they start shipping them with 2Gb or more of ram, a mini 1.8" either ssd or hdd with 128GB or (up to 320Gb for the hdd), that would be more interesting :-)
You will then notice more people going to these devices, since all they would need for the general joe is a keyboard/ mouse and a hdmi out. they k/b & mouse could even be BT that uses less energy if they forgot to pack their charger with them.
This is the exciting time for ARM vs Intel, like about a decade ago was AMD vs Intel for the pc / desktop arena. Now it is the mobile arena, i.e. phones, tablets, ultralights etc. basically SFF's.
Just my thoughts at least.
Gondalf - Saturday, September 17, 2011 - link
Interesting thing ! it will be head or faster (likely faster) than 2012 quad core Arm devices...So the customer will be able choose between a fully x86 capable Tablet running Win 8 and a so so x86 capable (recompilation) Arm tablet running the same OS :). Will see the winner.
From a perf. point of view DC Medfield will be surely faster running native x86 SW :). Arm has a competitor....finally !!!
RU482 - Monday, September 19, 2011 - link
menlow was a 2 chip solution (CPU + PCH), not a 3 chip solution (CPU + NB +SB)Exophase - Monday, October 10, 2011 - link
Menlow didn't have an IMC/IGP, you're thinking of Moorestown.zhangqq - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
http://ygn.me/bTf7p