AMD to Make a Tablet Chip in the Future
AMD Fusion to someday power a tablet? Sure, someday.
Right now the tablet market appears to be owned by Apple and the technology powering it is from ARM. Intel already announced intentions to compete head-on with a new Atom platform called Oak Trail.
AMD up to this point did not view the tablet market as a place for big opportunity. That attitude could be changing, especially after seeing how much success Apple's been having with its giant iPod touch.
AMD CEO Dirk Meyer believes that the iPad's success in the market wasn't a fluke and that tablets are here to stay.
"I expect we're going to see tablets in various form factors and thicknesses over time. From everything we understand today, it's still a pretty new market," Meyer said in the third quarter financials conference call.
As for what AMD's stance is on tablet hardware, Meyer continued, "A tablet would optimally have power dissipation of two to three watts, which is a little more than half of what a fanless Netbook would tolerate. I expect customers will take components designed with Netbooks in mind and put them in tablets. And I think you'll see AMD solutions in tablets in the next couple of years for that reason. … We'll show up with a differentiated offering with great graphics and video technology."
The tablet wave will be hitting in 2011 with iPad competitors, so wouldn't AMD already be late to the party if it doesn't already have a solution? Not in AMD's mind. Right now, the company's success comes from desktop and server processors.
"It's [a market] we'll devote significant R&D energy towards when the market is big enough to justify that investment," he added. "Frankly, we're still so small in the notebook market that it doesn't make sense for us to turn R&D dollar spending toward the tablet market yet. We'll start doing that when the market is big enough."
Source: Cnet.
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With AMD + ATI technology, they probably have a good chance of success.
I think their first priority should be making sure Bulldozer can match the performance of Sandybridge core to core. Then they can worry about expanding into new markets when they are not playing catch up in their primary business.
AMD please focus on improving core performance, you are losing server market...
If they didn't have their head up their rear they would already have one ready to go. I would love to see an AMD powered Andriod Tablet with decent gpu. Current Andriod Tablets are lacking in speed.
Yes, I can see it now... cheaper AMD Pads, no wait, they'll be sued by Apple if they use the "Pad" trade mark. AMD Tabs? That one sounds like a web browser extension... lol
I think its a smart move, as they are right, the tablet market isnt big enough yet. By the time they get something to show for their research, maybe 2-3 years from now, it will be much more popular, and therefore more worth the investment.
i need a windows 7 tablet now so i can run EJukebox in front of my hdtv instead of on it!
was this not inevitable? These is money to be made and companies generally like to make money
I think their first priority should be to sell off the graphics division and return to profitability.
Their graphic is more profitable then their cpu, selling that section of their company would not be smart. I think splitting up their focus on a tablet pc or anything like that is a waste of time. It to much of a small market and who the hell once one. I hate tablet pc, dont waste your time on those things, the world market is still desktops, laptops and servers, inculding phones but all you really need is 1 or 2 things 2 make a profit.
With AMD + ATI technology, they probably have a good chance of success.
strangely this seems like a great chance for them with the intergrated gpu
.."big enough to justify that investment" yes this is true.
I think their first priority should be to sell off the graphics division and return to profitability.
hwat ?? sell off the most profitable department and then get into tablets where the intergrated gpu's would be the biggest asset ?
what is this basis for this ??
I find no logic at all in this statement
but please do note I am looking for a response with insight ratehr than a argument
I think their first priority should be to sell off the graphics division and return to profitability.
Isn't ATI the division making them the most money ATM? How would selling their money maker help them at all in the short or long run?
There being smart there watching the market. They have to know though that sometimes you have to take crazy chances but they can't afford that now so I respect that. They have a good CPU and GPU at a awesome price. What they have to do is find more ways to use them. I hope the next Xbox or Play station will use AMD. The big market is phones right now.
There being smart there watching the market. They have to know though that sometimes you have to take crazy chances but they can't afford that now so I respect that. They have a good CPU and GPU at a awesome price. What they have to do is find more ways to use them. I hope the next Xbox or Play station will use AMD. The big market is phones right now.
I don't care who makes the chips for the next gen of consoles
I just hope they don't wait this long to upgrade next time.
I thought they already have one coming called Ontario?
I know it's meant for netbooks, but since it's meant for netbooks, cant it be slightly adjusted for tablets?
if their netbooks are anything to go by you could do some light gaming on them... interesting.
Why wait until the main players in the pad market are established? AMD needs to bring their expertise ie. combination of good graphics and CPU's to this market with their fusion technology. The Pad market is going to be huge for a number of resons: portability, low power, multifunctional, touch screen ease of use, low cost, etc. I can imagine a number of these in any household,fulfilling many a need. People are over having dinosaurs for computers. Convenience and functionality rule!
if their netbooks are anything to go by you could do some light gaming on them... interesting.
Already can with the current M880G chipset Radeon HD 4225 IGP netbook models but the future ones (Bobcat "Zacate") next year will be much much better supposedly.
I think their first priority should be to sell off the graphics division and return to profitability.
You fail at counting. ATI division is up 33% year over year, and hit their 25 millionth DX11 gpu sold this month. Lets get one thing straight... ATI was the smartest move AMD ever made, and it has carried them through this slump.
They should first primary concentrate on Desktop and Server CPU's then anything else, Intel is going way to ahead.
AMD please focus on improving core performance, you are losing server market...
I don't believe its as black and white from that. The portable market is a hugely growing one and the research from low power devices filters directly into the server side development. How many companies the likes of like search engines that handle thousands of small requests are crying out for a large volume of small, efficient cores over a 4GHz monster? As multi threading takes off this could become more common that a low powered cluster beats fast clocked processors with fewer cores. Also just look at netbook sales and the ever growing mobile and tablet markets. AMD-ATI fusion will be of huge benefit in those markets. Yes they may be behind in one sector, but ignoring a new young and ever expanding market in which they have a chance to compete and learn new things in would just be suicide and even harder to play catch up in.
more competition!!
I'm sure they will at some point. But let's hope that the tablet rage hasn't subsided by then.
hwat ?? sell off the most profitable department and then get into tablets where the intergrated gpu's would be the biggest asset ?what is this basis for this ??I find no logic at all in this statementbut please do note I am looking for a response with insight ratehr than a argument
They have largely returned to profitability, They may have lost some in the third quarter, but AMD posted net gains in the first and second quarters as well need i remind you.
when the market is big enough, Intel and ARM would have long established their footholds and AMD would just start doing R&D to get into the game. How sad! AMD seems to be doing catch-up every time.
Every Sci-Fi film/book/show seems to highlight the use of Tablet's (and they come up with awesome ideas). The problem is that the people working on these Sci-Fi productions needs to be working on the design and development of Tablets back in reality... Tablet designers today are nothing more than Laptop designers working without a formal keyboard. With a tablet, you have to start from scratch!
@tehsek and feeddagoat
Unfortunately AMD is not Intel or Microsoft, they dont have that kind of financial muscle, dividing your R&D budget in an attempt to break a market that only currently accounts for some 5% at the expense of development for your mainstream product is close to suicide. They choose to be a little smarter and watch the market knowing that any development they do in the notebook market could be translated to the tablet market and right now they really do need to beef up their notebook portfolio
You fail at counting. ATI division is up 33% year over year, and hit their 25 millionth DX11 gpu sold this month. Lets get one thing straight... ATI was the smartest move AMD ever made, and it has carried them through this slump.
Very true, ATI has kept AMD going, now if they can just improve their CPUs they can really give Intel and nVidia a run for their money and force faster innovation and pricing on all fronts.
this made me laugh