Intel names new chip line Intel Atom

Will be for mobile internet devices and cheap laptops

2 March 2008 23:48 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Seeing a move towards a demand for mobile computing and a new category of low-cost, internet-centric mobile computing devices Intel has announced a new range and name for its latest line of chips on Monday geared towards mobile computing.

The Intel Atom processor will be the name for a new family of low-power processors designed specifically for the newly announced category of mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and a new class of affordable internet-centric computers arriving later this year.

The company also announced the Intel Centrino Atom processor technology brand for MID platforms, consisting of multiple chips that enable the best internet experience in a pocketable device.

According to the company, the Intel Atom processor is based on an entirely new microarchitecture designed specifically for small devices and low power, while maintaining the Intel Core 2 Duo instruction set compatibility.

The chip will measure less than 25mm squared, making it Intel’s smallest and lowest power processor yet the company said.

These new chips, previously codenamed Silverthorne and Diamondville, will be manufactured on Intel’s 45nm process with hi-k metal gate technology.