Jules, Article...233Mhz MMX Pentium on the way!
news.com
233-MHz MMX Pentium on way
By Brooke Crothers
April 17, 1997, 4:30 p.m. PT
Just as its next-generation Pentium II is beginning to hit store shelves, Intel (INTC) is getting ready to announce an MMX Pentium that will run just as fast.
Intel will up the ante in the Pentium-class processor market by announcing a 233-MHz version of the chip this quarter, according to sources familiar with the development. Currently, the fastest version of the MMX Pentium processor runs at 200 MHz.
But Intel is already shipping a 233-MHz Pentium II chip, even before its official introduction next month. Fry's, a major California computer and electronics retailer, has been selling Pentium II processors, although a sales representative said its supplies sold out quickly.
The chip has also already been delivered to some systems vendors. Major PC vendors such as Dell Computer are in fact champing at the bit, with Pentium II systems ready to go. "[Dell] is locked and loaded and ready to go [with Pentium II systems]," said a source close to the company. He added that the company has already received a large supply of the chips.
"Intel's strategy now with announcements is to make sure the channel is completely filled before they announce," the source added.
Both chips will run at the same speed. The difference will be pricing. The new Pentium II will be introduced at a higher price, which will target the chip at higher-end desktops.
The 233-MHz Pentium II processor, for example, is expected to be priced at $595 with 512K of "L2" fast built-in cache memory to speed the processors' performance. Pricing for a 266-MHz version is expected to be set at about $725.
That would mean that systems using these chips will initially be priced above $3,000.
The 233-MHz Penium, in contrast, will cost roughly $550 and systems built around this chip should range between $2,500 to $3,000. A 233-MHz Pentium will compete with AMD's 200-MHz and 233-MHz K6 processors.
Intel will use the pricing to create clear market niches for its products so that system vendors don't immediately abandon the older Pentium chips for the new Pentium II.
As part of this same strategy, Intel is also slated to announce new pricing for its MMX Pentiums at the end of this month. A 166-MHz version will fall from $335 to $255, while the 200-MHz version will sink from $505 to $465, according to sources.
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Let the battle for market share begin anew!
Michael |
