San Francisco (CA) - Intel will open on Tuesday the doors to its 2005 Spring Developer Forum in San Francisco. The center stage is reserved for dual-core processors that will be demonstrated for the first time in a comprehensive product line ranging from mobile, desktop and server chips.

Intel has been gearing up for the Spring IDF for several months while providing very few details about its upcoming processor platforms to the public. According to Intel officials, this will dramatically change during IDF. Spokespeople confirmed that upcoming dual-cores ranging from the soon-to-be-launched desktop chip Smithfield to the mobile Yonah processor and a dual-core Itanium (Montecito) will be on display. A range of processors previously known only by code-names will be explained and roadmaps will be updated.

With most conference topics are touching dual-core technology, single-core play are playing a minor role at the conference. Intel however stressed that single-cores are important to the firm's processor strategy for the foreseeable future and the manufacturer maintained its position that it is far from dumping the chips from its roadmap. Still, dual-cores will enter the performance segment and quickly trickle down into the mainstream market. By the end of 2006, 60 to 70 percent of Intel-based performance desktop systems are expected to integrate a dual-core processor.

Simlar to AMD, Intel is careful promoting performance gains of the new chips. Instead, the focus is on increased multitasking functionality. As long as multithreaded applications for the desktop remain a rare sight, an increase in performance is generally expected to be very limited.

Intel expects about 5000 developers to attend its Spring IDF. We will provide comprehensive coverage of the conference, so we invite you to check back for updates several times a day.

Source : Tom's Hardware US