On Thursday, Intel's senior vice president Anand Chandrasekher displayed a few prototype mobile Internet devices (MIDs) powered by the company's upcoming Moorestown chip platform. Designed for handheld computers, the platform comprises of the Lincroft Atom processor (which crams a 45 nm processor, graphics, memory controller and video encode/decode onto a single chip) and the accompanying Langwell I/O hub. According to Intel, the Moorestown platform uses less idle power than the current Menlow platform, one-fiftieth to be exact, and will be available with a variety of wireless options (3G, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, Mobile TV) when it eventually goes to retail.
During the presentation, Inventec Appliances, Quanta Computer and Elektrobit showcased mobile devices utilizing the Moorestown platform and the Moblin 2.0 version of Linux. Executives representing all three companies claimed that the retail version should be available on the market sometime early 2010. Computerworld also quoted an unnamed source, revealing that engineers managed to get the three prototypes up and running for Computex in less than two months; Intel, unfortunately, actually hoped five models would be available for public viewing.
For now, the Moorestown chips are only available as samples. "We're not yet in [volume] production. We're getting close," Chandrasekher said in his speech. The reigning MID Menlow platform is still currently being used in new designs, and is expected to continue on next year and possibly overlap the Moorestown platform when it becomes available.
Intel originally revealed the Moorestown platform back in October 2008 during the Intel Developer Forum keynote speech.
