Asia-based DigiTimes posted some other in a series of articles that call for Intel to lower its chips prices. in this case, for windows 8 units.
that isn’t the primary time DigiTimes, which has close connections to Asia-based instrument makers, has expressed the sentiment of Taiwan’s producers (aka, OEMs and ODMs). it’s been a routine subject with ultrabooks. device makers obviously want decrease costs so they are able to turn extra of a benefit.
This time, the e-newsletter is asking for Intel and advanced Micro gadgets to decrease prices of their such a lot power-efficient processors so as to move into, among different tools, windows 8 tablets and laptops. that is essential–so Digitimes claims–to compete with chips according to the ARM layout. suppliers of ARM chips for home windows 8 tablets will come with Texas tools, Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Freescale.
“While Intel and AMD have been making efforts to develop low power processors for use in smartphones and tablet PCs, they cannot compete with solutions from ARM in terms of price, according to notebook makers,” the publication said.
So, which Intel chips is DigiTimes referring to exactly? Well, let’s review Intel’s offerings in the smartphone and tablet markets.
Intel’s newest Atom processor dubbed “Medfield” is slated for Lenovo and Motorola smartphones. And later this year, Intel will be pushing its dual-core-capable “Clover Trail” Atom processor for Windows 8 tablets. And after that, in 2013, it will be a completely redesigned Atom chip called Silvermont. And there will also be a more power-hungry (and higher performance) mainstream chip called Haswell in 2013.
Pricing of these chips, among others, is too high to compete with ARM-based designs, DigiTimes is claiming (which, again, is expressing the sentiment of Taiwan device makers).
And the publication cites AMD as overpriced, too. That U.S.-based chip supplier is readying a chip called “Hondo” for Windows 8 tablets. After that will come an even more power-efficient chip dubbed “Temash.”
The downside is pricing for lots of of these chips isn’t public so it’s now not clear how a lot, if any, of a price hole there may be between an Intel Clover path chip, for instance, and a related ARM chip from Texas instruments.
And how serious a problem this is for Intel is not clear, either. Intel has more than a few Windows 8 tablet customers already, according to a source familiar with the chipmaker’s plans. “[Intel has] already secured dozens of Win8 tablet and hybrid design wins,” according to the source.