Intel Discloses Next-Generation Handheld CPUs Details

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mobile/display/20030917163602.html">http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mobile/display/20030917163602.html</a><br /><br />"Intel Corporation...disclosed key technical details of its next-generation of Intel XScale technology based processors to be used in cell phones, PDAs and other wireless devices. The Bulverde will allow easy and cost-effective incorporation of camera into PDAs and smart-phones, lower power consumption through Wireless Intel SpeedStep technology and enhanced multimedia capabilities thanks to Wireless MMX technology. The upcoming processors, code named “Bulverde”, will add several new features that will help enable wireless devices to capture quality pictures, extend battery life and deliver fast multimedia performance. Bulverde is a key component of the Intel Personal Internet Client Architecture, the company's development blueprint for designing wireless devices that combine voice communications and Internet access capabilities."<br /><br />They are putting emphasis on power consumption for wireless devices too. "First available in the Bulverde processor, Intel will also offer Wireless Intel SpeedStep Technology, a technology which dynamically adjusts the power and performance of the processor based on CPU demand. This can result in a significant decrease in power consumption for wireless handheld devices."<br /><br />I was hoping I would be satisfied with my 2215 for a while too, but that looks like it won't be the case. :? Devices with the new chips are expected as early as the second quarter of 2004. :D

[SandersP]

First thing first, will it run faster ? :mrgreen:

[denivan]

I guess that means its almost time for me to
replace my ipaq 3660...The 1940 seems tempting
allready, but I'll wait to see if the new chips will
further improve battery life

[caywen]

Remember, the chips are scheduled to be shipped "as early as" 2Q04. This doesn't mean we'll see devices using it as soon as it is shipped.

It will probably take at least a few months for manufacturers who had been using non-production samples to build production devices and send it through a round of QA.

3Q isn't a popular shipping date for new products because 4Q is the holiday season where people go crazy over buying the latest and greatest.

So, I wouldn't expect to see actual devices until 4Q04. Get a 1940 or other new PDA. Just don't spend a fortune. More than $400 for a PDA is a ripoff, IMO. Between a stock 2215 and a 1940 with 256MB SD card, I'd take the latter.

[ventivent]

Between a stock 2215 and a 1940 with 256MB SD card, I'd take the latter.

I tend to agree with this theory more and more now. It's similar to a dilemma I used to have deciding when and how much to spend when buying a new computer. Should I go for a $3000 soup-up everything gaming rig that's going to have to last me for 5 years before I have to upgrade again? Or should I go for the $600 Dell weekly special which would mean that if I really wanted to, I could spend the same money buying a mid-level computer every year for the next 5 years.

Ultimately, that's why I went with an Axim X5 400 Advanced, which I was able to get for $224 back in January, and now I have traded over to an IPaq 1945. These PDAs may not have every single bell and whistle, but for my purposes, they are enough...my rule of thumb now is to spend about $250 for a new PDA. If you can wait, the new bells and whistles on the expensive $400+ PDAs will trickle down to the mid/entry level PDAs in 6 months to a year. I used to be one to lust after the IPaq 5000 series,
Clie UX50 etc., but for me, they're awful hard to justfiy when you can get a Dell desktop 3GHz computer for the same price.

BTW, IPAQ 1945 on sale at Office Max right now for $299 with free cradle, minus $50 coupon, minus $50 rebate = $199 + tax. Super!

My $.02.

Al

[Ed Hansberry]

Between a stock 2215 and a 1940 with 256MB SD card, I'd take the latter.

I tend to agree with this theory more and more now.
FOr the foreseeable future, I still need compact flash. I still use my 56K modem and CAT5 ethernet card, but I admit I am not that common, and more and more I use bluetooth with my Nokia and Wifi where possible - neither of which are in my place of business. :cry: Not all hotels have Wifi and I'll take CAT5's speed over GPRS any day of the week. I'll often take 56K modem speeds over GPRS if I know I need to download some data from my LAN.

THat said, I continue to heavily recommend the HP iPAQ 1930 and 1940 series to anyone that asks simply because of their features and size.

[caywen]

BTW, IPAQ 1945 on sale at Office Max right now for $299 with free cradle, minus $50 coupon, minus $50 rebate = $199 + tax. Super!


Wow, that is a good deal!

I find my 1940 also works well for me for the 90% case. A couple times, here and there, I would have liked to do a little casual browsing at a Starbucks or McD's, but such an occasional convenience isn't worth the extra $100 to me.
[/quote]

[Duncan]

Remember, the chips are scheduled to be shipped "as early as" 2Q04. This doesn't mean we'll see devices using it as soon as it is shipped.

It will probably take at least a few months for manufacturers who had been using non-production samples to build production devices and send it through a round of QA.

3Q isn't a popular shipping date for new products because 4Q is the holiday season where people go crazy over buying the latest and greatest.

So, I wouldn't expect to see actual devices until 4Q04.

You may be pleasantly surprised - at least one manufacturer has plans for a 'Bulverde' device as early as Q2 2004...

[Excalliber]

I'm so sick of intel... If there is a choice between the new samsungs (up to 533 mhz) and the new intels, i'll take the samsung any day. They have already proven to be roughly equivilent in proccesing power for an appreciably lower number of clock cycles per second.

[CodeSurge]

I'm so sick of intel... If there is a choice between the new samsungs (up to 533 mhz) and the new intels, i'll take the samsung any day. They have already proven to be roughly equivilent in proccesing power for an appreciably lower number of clock cycles per second.

It would then boil down to something resembling the AMD vs. Intel argument for desktop CPUs.

It's the whole debate over cycles/instruction and time/cycle all over again. You raise one, you sacrifice the other, and vice versa.