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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Paul Engel who wrote (37519)	9/28/1998 1:11:00 PM
From: Maverick	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1572033

Mobile K6/300 AMD has a slight timing advantage over Intel in design aspects AMD targets mobile computers with new K6 chip Marcia Savage Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Advanced Micro Devices Inc. last week launched a new K6 processor for mobile computers that company executives said will accelerate movement toward low-priced portables. The 300MHz chip offers high performance but at a competitive price, said David Somo, a director of product marketing at the Sunnyvale-based company. The processor is available now for $229 in lots of 1,000. Earlier this month, Intel Corp., Santa Clara, Calif., unveiled its top-speed portable processor, the 300MHz mobile Pentium II. It starts at $637. Customers can expect to see the 300MHz K6 in portables that sell for $2,000 to $2,500. But notebook prices are following the same downward trend as desktop PC prices, Somo said. "I expect we'll see sub-$1,500 notebooks," he said. The 300MHz mobile K6 builds on the success of the 266MHz K6 for mobile computers, according to AMD. The chip maker plans to offer a full line of mobile processors from entry level to high end, said S. Atiq Raza, AMD's executive vice president and chief technical officer. The mobile 300MHz K6 processor generates less heat and consumes less power than its desktop counterpart, Somo said. It has an extended Tcase rating of 85 degrees Celsius and typical power consumption of less than 6.6 watts. The chip is available in PGA and BGA packages. BGA packaging offers the smallest form factor. Compaq Computer Corp., Houston, last week introduced the Presario 1250, the first notebook to feature the new mobile K6 processor. The notebook features 512 Kbytes of Level 2 pipeline burst cache, 64-Mbyte SyncDRAM memory and a 6.4-Gbyte hard drive. The notebook sells for $2,499 and comes with a $100 mail-in rebate. AMD executives said they expect other OEMs soon will unveil notebook computers with its new mobile chip, but they declined to provide specifics. AMD plans to expand its notebook offerings early next year, when it offers a mobile version of the K6-2 that features AMD's 3DNow technology and a AMD plans to expand its notebook offerings early next year, when it offers a mobile version of the K6-2 that features AMD's 3DNow technology and a 100MHz bus. The company plans to follow up with a chip targeted for the performance mobile market. That processor, code-named Sharptooth, is expected in the first half of 1999. Intel, meanwhile, plans to release its Celeron processor for low-cost notebooks early next year. The company also plans to launch the 300MHz Pentium chip with MMX for mobile computers in the first half of 1999. That product also will compete in the value notebook market, an Intel spokesman said. The 300MHz mobile K6 processor performs well, said Nathan Brookwood, an analyst at San Jose, Calif.-based Dataquest. AMD has a "very viable plan" for the mobile market, he said. The company will have a slight timing advantage over Intel in design aspects because AMD already will have a chip out that offers 3-D when Intel releases its mobile Celeron processor, Brookwood added. "It continues to be a ball game, and that's what makes it interesting," he said. "We're seeing a revival of serious product-style competition in these various markets, and it benefits everybody."