Intel to Exhibit Pentium 4, Unveil More New Chips at Conference
8/20/00 12:00:00 PM
Source: Bloomberg News
San Jose, California, Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Intel Corp. plans to exhibit its powerful Pentium 4 this
week and to unveil both a new processor for wireless devices and faster chips for server computers.
About 5,000 people are expected to attend the Intel Developer's Forum from Tuesday to Thursday in
San Jose, California, to hear executives discuss new computer hardware and services to support the
Internet.
Intel, the world's biggest chipmaker, hopes to use the announcements
to reclaim the spotlight from rivals, including Advanced Micro Devices
Inc. and Transmeta Corp., that have made inroads in key markets
such as personal and laptop computers. Intel wants to recoup sales
with speedier chips for high-end servers and PCs and to win with
products for wireless devices.
The show ''gives you a flavor of what the techies are looking for, what
the hot buttons are this season'' in the fourth quarter, said Christian
Koch, technology analyst at Trusco Capital Management, which owns
about 7 million Intel shares.
Intel plans to unveil microprocessors for cell phones and handheld
devices and a brand to replace its so-called StrongARM chips for
such products. The Santa Clara, California-based company also
expects to introduce faster Pentium III Xeons that run at 1 gigahertz in
servers, which store and distribute computer files. The fastest Xeons
now available run at 933 megahertz.
Pentium 4
Analysts expect that the Pentium 4, aimed at consumers and at
businesses that need sophisticated graphics, to win most of the attention this time. Intel plans to
reveal technical details of the new design, dubbed ''NetBurst,'' which changes some of the basic ways
chips work.
Processors run some functions such as addition and subtraction more often than others. NetBurst
lists those frequently used instructions and performs them twice as fast as other directions. That
improves the performance of the Pentium 4, which can execute six tasks at once.
The Pentium 4 operates faster, at 1.4GHz compared with the 1.13GHz Pentium IIIs sold for PCs now.
It also ships data faster to other parts of the computer, at 400MHz rather than the current 133MHz,
and has more features for graphics, video and security.
''It's quite similar to building a car,'' said Doug Carmean, Intel's chief chip designer. ''You want the
best engine you can find for it.''
Intel is scheduled to begin shipping the Pentium 4 in the fourth quarter, and NetBurst will become the
basic concept in future Pentium products because designs tend to last seven to 10 years.
Highlights
Analysts and investors also expect Intel to demonstrate its Itanium processor for high-powered
servers and workstations and to give more information about when the chip will be shipped.
The company also may give details about some of the chipsets that will surround the new
processors, after questions surfaced last month about Intel's commitment to a new memory standard
designed by Rambus Inc., analysts said. Chipsets include memory functions and help the main
processor work the rest of a computer.
Intel Chief Executive Craig Barrett is scheduled to speak Tuesday, and other executives are expected
to discuss ideas about networking computers and services to support the Internet. Vice President
Patrick Gelsinger plans to talk about future uses for peer-to-peer computing -- a concept made
famous by Napster Inc. -- to let people swap digital music files over the Web.
Intel shares rose 1/2 to 70 9/16 Friday. They've gained 71 percent this year. |
