Coming up on 'Silicon Spin': Intel breaks away from the processor pack and strikes a blow to desktop computing.

Forget the catchy jingle. Intel's new corporate anthem should be, "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better."

The world's largest chipmaker announced Monday the release of five new mobile processors that are smaller and faster than the latest offerings from rivals Transmeta and Advanced Micro Devices. As with Transmeta's Crusoe 5800 chip, Intel's new Pentium III-M processors are manufactured with .13-micron technology, allowing much smaller chips to run even faster while using less energy.

Tonight on "Silicon Spin," host John C. Dvorak and his guests from the chip industry will discuss the latest round of battles in the processor war.

Both Transmeta and Intel tout their new mobile chips' ability to conserve processing power and sustain battery life in laptops and wireless devices. Transmeta's "code morphing" technology and Intel's SpeedStep system allow processors to reduce clock speed when performing lesser tasks or running on battery power. AMD is expected to release its top-shelf mobile chip, called Palamino, later this year.

So far, Intel's III-M is in the lead for speed, with its low-end chip clocking in at 866 MHz and its high-end chip hitting a blazing 1.13 GHz. Transmeta's Crusoe currently tops out at 800 MHz.
The push for faster, more energy-efficient mobile processors is in line with a worldwide consumer shift away from desktop computers. PC sales as a whole fell 8 percent this year, while laptop sales increased slightly, according to research firm IDC.

Intel began shipping a desktop version of its .13-micron Pentium III in May, but that chip received none of the corporate hype devoted to the release of its mobile counterpart, the III-M. Is Intel consciously fueling a global shift away from desktop PCs -- after capturing 80 percent of that market -- or is the innovative and fiercely competitive chipmaker just following the market's lead?

Tonight's guests
The following guests are scheduled to debate these issues and more live on "Silicon Spin" Monday, July 30, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern. Encore performances follow July 30 at 11:30 p.m. and July 31 at 2:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. (all times Eastern).


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