CNET - Intel to Refresh Laptop Chips Monday 30th March..

[ThinkP]

I guess we'll see the new x301 bump up and we hope they fix the screen too....


http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10204 ... ?tag=mncol

March 27, 2009 10:45 AM PDT
Intel to refresh laptop chips Monday
by Brooke Crothers

Intel will refresh its lineup of chips for ultraportable laptops on Monday.

The new dual-core processors--targeted at Apple MacBook Air-class laptops--include the 2.53GHz SP9600 priced at $316 with 6MB of cache memory and a thermal envelope rating of 25 watts. Slotted below this chip is the 1.6GHz SU9600 (6MB cache) priced at $289 with a thermal envelope rating of 17 watts.

The lineup also includes a single-core 1.4GHz SU3500 with a thermal envelope of only 5.5 watts. This is priced at $262.

Intel ULV and LV chips due on March 30, 2009:

* SP9600 / 2.53GHz / 6MB cache / 1066MHz FSB / 2 cores / 25W / $316
* SL9600 / 2.13GHz / 6MB cache / 1066MHz FSB / 2 cores / 17W / $316
* SU9600 / 1.60GHz / 3MB cache / 800MHz FSB / 2 cores / 10W / $289
* SU3500 / 1.4GHz / 3MB cache / 800MHz FSB / 1 core / 5.5W / $262
* ICP900 / 2.2GHz / 1MB cache / 800MHz FSB / 1 core / 35W / $70

These new chip models being launched Monday are not the rumored "CULV" (consumer ultra low voltage) processors targeted at inexpensive ultra-thin laptops, according to sources close to Intel. Those future chips--which Intel will not necessarily label CULV--are not due to summer, the sources said.

The future ULV processors for inexpensive ultra-thin laptops--similar to the $700 Hewlett-Packard Pavilion dv2 expected to hit the streets next month--will be priced to allow PC makers to roll out attractive, sleek laptops that are not priced in the stratosphere, like the $1,999 Dell Adamo or $1,799 MacBook Air.

Let's step back for a minute and examine Intel's ULV lineup. Intel low-power mobile processors have been around for a long time but gained prominence with the introduction of ultra-thin luxury laptops such as the MacBook Air and the ThinkPad X300. The newest ULV chips, for instance, power Dell's new Adamo ultra-thin laptops and the update to the ThinkPad X300, the X301. (The Adamo uses Intel Core 2 Duo SU9300 and SU9400 processors.)

[elvair]

Will be interesting to see what will be Lenovo's response in terms of x30n if any.

From what I've read it appears that Lenovo is gathering cash to buy some other company.

Hence, my guess is that there will be no refresh to the line up any time soon, as getting model revamped is heavy capital expenditure exercise.