Intel’s Moorestown Platform not Agreed by Apple

1st November, 2009 by Adina
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As rumoured, Intel proposed the ultra-mobile Moorestown platform to Apple, but this one has rejected it because of too large power consumption. As sources like Fudzilla claimed, Apple needed a ten times lower power consuming platform but Intel could not make such an offer. This rejection leads to the supposition that this platform was meant to a handheld device and to the confirmation of Apple’s anticipated decision of making an ARM-based tablet. This tablet would be large enough to fit Moorestown’s power needs at full speed, but might lead to a shorter battery life in standby mode. By acquiring PA Semiconductor last year, Apple intended to prepare the basis for the tablet’s hardware but also for faster and more efficient ARM processors meant to equip devices like the iPod touch or the iPhone.

Moorestown is a revision of the Atom platform, consolidating the memory and graphics controller, as well as a video encode/decode into a smaller, 45 nanometer processor known as Lincroft, and a system controller chip with the codename Langwell. Moorestown’s significant reduction in idle power draw is acquired using the same basic technology that Intel used to reduce Nehalem’s idle power. Moorestown platforms will support a range of wireless technologies including 3G, WiMAX, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and mobile TV. This design is supposed to equip devices not smaller than MIDs (mobile Internet devices) with 4-inch screens or larger and an active battery life corresponding to a notebook rather than to a smartphone. A 32 nanometer model could improve energy use but this would not be enough.


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