CULV notebooks to come in 15.6-inch sizes?
updated 08:05 am EDT, Thu March 26, 2009
CULV 15-inch Notebooks
Systems based on Intel's CULV budget ultraportable platform may be used for systems with displays as large as 15.6 inches, sources in the industry have reportedly told DigiTimes. Intel is officially defining the typical size for one of the budget ultraportables as between 11 and 13 inches, but "several first-tier" notebook makers that include Acer, Dell and HP are all believed building ultra-thin 15.6-inch systems using the very low-power processors.
What these systems would entail besides the thickness isn't specified, though Dell's Adamo line is known to be expanding to more than one size and already uses Intel's more expensive ultra low-voltage processors.
Regardless of exact sizes, Intel is said to be using the existence of its CULV chips to push companies away from making larger-sized netbooks using Atom processors. More than one Chinese generic PC builder has supposedly lost its special discount on Atom processors that would have been used in 11.6-inch systems. LCD panel stocks instead suggest that most early CULV systems will have 13.3-inch screens.
NVIDIA has lately been seen encouraging the move to CULV by readying a new MCP89E chipset that would provide graphics on the level of the GeForce 9400M for ultraportables.
