Facts seems to be the mot du jour (word of the day)!
Well, here's some news about the impending future of Portables computes, which could move discussion to something more relevant than personal feelings <g>
1). PCMCIA First to Implement PCI Bus Power Management
November 19, 1997 12:00 PM EST
CardBus PC Cards to Benefit From Enhanced Power Management
SAN JOSE, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Portable PC users will soon enjoy enhanced power management for CardBus PC Cards thanks to the new PCI Bus Power Management Interface Specification from PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association). This latest proposal, authored by Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ), is scheduled for approval and inclusion in the PC Card Standard later this year. A number of manufacturers have already announced support for the specification and it is expected that its adoption will hasten implementation of power management for CardBus PC Cards in mobile platforms.
The evolution of power management is moving towards the industry standard ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) specification. The latest PCMCIA proposal elegantly integrates CardBus PC Card power management with the ACPI standard.
"Notebook users will be able to take advantage of CardBus devices that are more efficient in their power usage, which has the potential to dramatically improve battery life," said Ted Clark, vice president of marketing, Portable PC Division, Compaq Computer Corporation. "Also, PC Card vendors will be able to deliver products that operate more reliably in a power managed environment."
Since CardBus and PCI architecture are similar and the CardBus PC Card controller will appear as a PCI bridge, it is imperative that the CardBus standard closely emulate the PCI/ACPI model. Doing so enables CardBus PC Cards to be power managed under the ACPI architecture. The result is a more holistic view of power management that has the potential to extend battery life when using CardBus PC Cards designed to meet this latest addition to the PCMCIA specification.
Beyond extended battery life, the proposal offers other benefits as well. Developing CardBus PC Card device drivers that are ACPI-aware will be greatly simplified. For users this translates to improved reliability of CardBus PC Cards when responding to power management events. CardBus PC Cards will also be able to take advantage of new features such as remote wake-up already included in the ACPI specification. And by including a standard mechanism for CardBus PC Cards to report their power requirements, the proposal paves the way for more robust PC Card thermal management.
ACPI Defined
The ACPI specification, developed by Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., allows the PC operating system to monitor and control system configuration and power management. ACPI is a requirement for Microsoft PC97 and PC98 designs, and a key element of the Microsoft OnNow and Simply Interactive PC (SIPC) Initiatives. ACPI power manages the PCI bus, PCI devices and functions, and PCI to PCI bridges.
CardBus Defined
The CardBus standard provides higher levels of performance than the 16-bit PC Card standard. As a comparison, 32-bit CardBus cards are able to take advantage of internal bus speeds that can be as much as four to six times faster than 16-bit PC Cards. As a member of the PC Card family, CardBus PC Cards adopt the well-established PC Card form. This design provides for a compact, rugged card that can be inserted completely within its host computer without any external cabling (except where required to attach the card to an external resource, such as a LAN or a telephone network).
Since CardBus performance attains the same high level as the host platform's internal (PCI) system bus, it is an ideal way to add 100 Mbps LAN, SCSI II, video conferencing and other high-performance capabilities to the notebook form factor. In addition, CardBus PC Cards operate at a power-saving 3.3 volts extending battery life in most configurations.
CardBus PC Cards continue to support hot swapping and plug-and-play capability that users have come to expect from 16-bit PC Cards. CardBus-enabled systems also support use of virtually all 16-bit PC Cards, providing complete backward compatibility with the millions of 16-bit PC Cards in use today. However, CardBus PC Cards cannot be used in systems that lack CardBus slots. CardBus PC Cards employ a special keying mechanism, which prevents insertion in systems with slots that only support 16-bit PC Cards.
For the latest information on CardBus and other PC Card products, visit the PCMCIA web site at pc-card.com.
PCMCIA Background
PCMCIA is a non-profit trade association founded in 1989 to establish technical standards for PC Card technology and to promote interchangeability among computer systems. Already a feature in almost every notebook and palmtop computer, PC Card technology empowers users to configure systems and create unique, integrated solutions to meet their computing needs. A PC Card is a peripheral device that adds memory, mass storage, LAN, fax/modem, wireless communications and other expansion facilities to computers, as well as communications and consumer electronics devices. Based in San Jose, California, the association has more than 300 member companies worldwide. SOURCE Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
c PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
2). Pentium II Hits The Road (11/19/97; 4:00 p.m. EST)
By Kristen Kenedy, Computer Retail Week
LAS VEGAS -- Intel in February will begin shipping Pentium II processors in the mobile module format for notebook computers, sources said here this week at Comdex/Fall.
The first systems based on the chips should appear in the channel by the second quarter, the sources said.
Intel will deliver 233-MHz and 266-MHz Deschutes processors. Volume pricing will be $466 for the 233-MHz chip and $696 for the 266-MHz version. By May, those prices are slated to be reduced to $401 for the 233-MHz and $637 for the 266-MHz chips.
Intel also expects to provide Accelerated Graphics Port support for its mobile chips in April. Based on that schedule, system vendors will probably be able to add the ultra-fast graphics interface into notebooks by the end of the year, sources said.
Intel officials were unavailable for comment at deadline.
Copyright (c) CMP Media, 1997.
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