Dell could be planning a significant revision to its Mini 10 netbook if an FCC filing (PDF) is a clue. The testing for a seemingly nondescript 802.11n Wi-Fi mini-card makes reference to a 10-inch system with the model number P04T, which isn't known to apply to any current shipping Dell notebook. Few other details are available.
Fujitsu will soon release a new netbook powered by Intel's new Pineview-based Atom processors, a filing (PDF) at the FCC indicates. The 10.1-inch netbook will be part of Fujitsu's M-series range, with both the MH380 and M380 LifeBook models using the Pineview chip.
Intel's first processor based on the Pine Trail platform could ship as soon as the start of the fall, a report from industry contacts would claim. The Atom N450 is reportedly due in October and would be a single-core processor at an unnamed speed meant to replace the 1.6GHz Atom N270. It should use the technology behind Pineview and would be made built on a new, 45 nanometer design that merges the memory controller and graphics directly into the processor; accompanying it would be the new-generation Tiger Point chipset, which is needed for and takes advantage of the N450 design.
A leak of Intel's notebook processor plans for the second half of 2009 show the company moving aggressively into its new platforms during the summer. Those within notebook builders tell DigiTimes that the Nehalem-based notebook processor line, Calpella, is still on track for summer and is slated for mid- to high-range notebooks costing about $1,200 or more. Whether or not this will involve only quad-core processors, as recently rumored, isn't known.
Intel's next-generation Atom chip, nicknamed Pineview, will be less expensive than the current generation even as it improves performance, according to new leaks well ahead of the launch. The switch to a smaller 45 nanometer chipmaking process that lets Intel put the graphics core directly in the processor will reportedly cut the amount of necessary mainboard space by 60 percent, shrinking the overall footprint. The platform will also require a less complex circuitboard that can cut down to four layers from six and further drop prices for at least the manufacturers.
Early information for the successor to Intel's Atom processor has appeared today courtesy of roadmap information obtained by Impress. Codenamed "Pineview," the refresh will integrate a graphics engine and memory controller directly into the chip itself rather than leave them as discrete components. The alteration would significantly shrink the total size of the already-small Atom and would potentially improve performance by reducing the time it takes to transfer data from the processor to other parts of the system.
