Intel Computex keynote roundup

The Intel’s keynote takes our attention with its three major announcements: Sandy Bridge processor architecture, Oak Trail netbook / tablet platform and Canoe Lake demo.

Sandy Bridge

This is the nearest future of Intel’s Core series processors. Going into production in late 2010 and appearing in the market in 2011 Sandy Bridge architecture features 32nm fabrication process, better energy efficiency, etc. The biggest notable improvement to date is 3D graphics performance and media formats decoding. This, of course, befits well notebook platforms rather than desktops. Anyway, to see for ourselves we’ll have to wait for 2011 when Sandy Bridge goes mainstream to face competition with some new discrete graphic cards we hope will appear by then.

Oak Trail

Oak Trail was obviously designed with growing tablet market in mind. Derived from Intel Atom’s latest N series it is also DDR3 compatible, power efficient, full HD capable and runs so cool that can do with just a low profile passive heat sink. But above all that Oak Trail is fully compatible with the range of operating systems starting with light on their feet Chrome OS, MeeGo, probably Android as well and up to Windows 7. More choice means better user experience? – right so, but it also means Intel can sell Oak Trail chips to OEMs regardless of operating system they choose for their gadgets. International appearance of the platform is targeted for early 2011.

Canoe Lake

Another very interesting demo. Canoe Lake platform with advanced cooling solution from Intel themselves coupled with leading at the moment Pine Trail platform and dual-core N series Atom processor cuts netbook’s height to just 14mm. No word on what exactly has been done to it or who will be the first to eventually offer it. All we know is that in average Canoe Lake allows netbooks to be 50% thinner. The netbook on the picture is entirely built by Intel, has a 10-inch display and GMA 3150 GPU. Canoe Lake solution will come out somewhere in second halve of the year.

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