Intel shows off 4th-gen Core processors bound for Apple's MacBook lineup
Intel on Monday demoed a number of upcoming processors set to hit market later this year, including low power versions of the company's "Haswell" fourth-generation Core series CPUs slated to roll out in Apple's inevitable 2013 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air refreshes.
Intel Vice President and Manager of Intel's PC Client Group Kirk Skaugen introduces the new Core series lineup at CES. | Source: Intel
While Apple wasn't specifically mentioned in Intel's keynote, which focused mainly on the chip maker's push into smartphones and Ultrabooks, the processors outlined on Monday will likely be powering the MacBook lineup later this year.
According to the head of Intel's PC client group, Kirk Skaugen, the fourth-gen Core family of processors are the first to be designed specifically for the Ultrabook initiative. The new silicon is said to bring the most significant battery life improvement in Intel history, with laptops using the CPUs boasting 9 to 13 hours of continuous on-the-go use.
"The 4th generation Core processors are the first Intel chips built from the ground up with the Ultrabook in mind," Skaugen said. "We expect the tremendous advancements in lower-power Core processors, and the significant ramp of touch-based systems will lead to a significant new wave of convertible Ultrabooks and tablets that are thinner, lighter and, at the same time, have the performance required for more human-like interaction such as touch, voice and gesture controls."
Intel is making a strong push for touch capabilities in this year's thin-and-light lineup, requiring OEMs to include the functionality in return for "Ultrabook" branding. The company is also mandating that Ultrabook manufacturers incorporate Intel Wireless Display technology into 2013 machines, allowing users to view digital content on an HDTV.
As Apple does not participate in the Ultrabook initiative, a category believed to be a response to the MacBook Air, the Cupertino, Calif., company is not required to incorporate touchscreen tech into its laptop products. There have been no reports pointing toward multitouch capable MacBooks and industry sources claim Apple will merely debut refreshed units in June with existing designs.
Intel Vice President and Manager of Intel's PC Client Group Kirk Skaugen introduces the new Core series lineup at CES. | Source: Intel
While Apple wasn't specifically mentioned in Intel's keynote, which focused mainly on the chip maker's push into smartphones and Ultrabooks, the processors outlined on Monday will likely be powering the MacBook lineup later this year.
According to the head of Intel's PC client group, Kirk Skaugen, the fourth-gen Core family of processors are the first to be designed specifically for the Ultrabook initiative. The new silicon is said to bring the most significant battery life improvement in Intel history, with laptops using the CPUs boasting 9 to 13 hours of continuous on-the-go use.
"The 4th generation Core processors are the first Intel chips built from the ground up with the Ultrabook in mind," Skaugen said. "We expect the tremendous advancements in lower-power Core processors, and the significant ramp of touch-based systems will lead to a significant new wave of convertible Ultrabooks and tablets that are thinner, lighter and, at the same time, have the performance required for more human-like interaction such as touch, voice and gesture controls."
Intel is making a strong push for touch capabilities in this year's thin-and-light lineup, requiring OEMs to include the functionality in return for "Ultrabook" branding. The company is also mandating that Ultrabook manufacturers incorporate Intel Wireless Display technology into 2013 machines, allowing users to view digital content on an HDTV.
As Apple does not participate in the Ultrabook initiative, a category believed to be a response to the MacBook Air, the Cupertino, Calif., company is not required to incorporate touchscreen tech into its laptop products. There have been no reports pointing toward multitouch capable MacBooks and industry sources claim Apple will merely debut refreshed units in June with existing designs.
Comments
Do we still get a good performance upgrade, or was it sacrificed for energy savings?
I don't get what an "ultrabook" is supposed to be anyway. It's just a computer without quite so many of the usability compromises as a netbook. They still run Windows software which makes them about as desirable as a doorstop.
Seems like Intel is trying to drive the design as some sort of recognisable standard to drum up corporate customers by getting their customers to ask for laptops using a proprietry name. It's the same racket VISA and Mastercard have been pulling for a while - encouraging customers to shift all their purchasing to credit under vague notions of "increased security" because they know desperate businesses will swallow the fees to retain customers.
Yeah, yeah. Where are the server-class Xeons, Intel?
I don't recall anything like that, especially not such a pejorative retort. Apple was the one to get Intel to put into production their SFF (small form factor) ULV (ultra-low voltage) CPU that would be used in the first MBA and which set in motion what is now Ultrabooks. Note, while it was Apple that got Intel to produce these chips it appears that Intel likely already had the chipsets designs.
There are no netbook compromises. No cramped keyboard, no Atom processor. These are ULV processors but they are still modern Core chips. It's really just the MBA minus anything from Apple which for us is a deal breaker but for the many Windows users out there these notebooks could be ideal, especially as people are realizing (thanks to Apple, again) that they really don't need an ODD.
I'm not quite sure it's working out for them. I've seen plenty of quality Ultrabooks but they are at prices that are well beyond the average Windows PC price. Maybe this will spark something in buyer to invest a little more but I have to think it's hard to create a new PC category in this iPad/post-PC era.
I love how Intel and Microsoft are betting on touch screen laptops, even though it's not clear that's what people want.
It's all they can think of doing and yet we still have the latest version of Windows still half-assing it's way to a touch-based GUI.
Quote:
"The 4th generation Core processors are the first Intel chips built from the ground up with the Ultrabook in mind," Skaugen said. "We expect the tremendous advancements in lower-power Core processors, and the significant ramp of touch-based systems will lead to a significant new wave of convertible Ultrabooks and tablets that are thinner, lighter and, at the same time, have the performance required for more human-like interaction such as touch, voice and gesture controls."
This is kind of what I meant back when I suggested intel's "ultrabook initiative" was actually good for Apple. They couldn't afford to do something like this without a sizable customer base for the cpus.
I love the 'inspired by Intel' bullshit ultrabook branding. Really? Does anyone actually think any of these ultrabooks got a shred of inspiration from intel? Since pretty much all of them look like MBA clones, its painfully obvious where the 'inspiration' came from, since this is the machine that defined this category and made the formfactor mainstream- right after it was mocked to hell and back.
NO OPTICAL DRIVE??! NO ETHERNET PORT??! LOL WHAT IS APPLE THINKING
Imagine if Apple gained too much traction with the MacBook Air and then decided to move away from Intel processors again. That's why they drive the "Ultrabook" initiative. They don't want to be obsoleted by a design/technology shift from Apple.
That and they have to make their move into mobile properly or ARM will obsolete them when mobile products become more important.
Either way, Apple gets better chips for MBAs and users get longer battery life!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton
I love how Intel and Microsoft are betting on touch screen laptops, even though it's not clear that's what people want.
Actually, there's been a fair amount of discussion in these forums about the potential benefits and liabilities. The objections are "gorilla arm" and a UI that's not really tuned for touch input, while those who want it say that some touch input is better than none, and that having it doesn't mean having to throw away your keyboard and mouse. It's just one MORE way of interacting with the machine, not a replacement for anything else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Inkling
[...] The last thing I want is a touch screen laptop that needs the screen cleaned every day.
Then don't touch it. Just because it has that capability doesn't mean you're required to use it. My wife hates trackpads and has never used the one on her MacBook Pro, but you won't find her campaigning against them just because she doesn't like it.
I think it is clear that people don't want a touch screen laptop. Not me, so I can't speak for everone else. I have a bt keyboard for my iPad mini but even when using it I still don't classify it as a laptop whatsoever. If anything it makes the mini a netbook - one that I would actually use.
Plus MS is doing it's patented kill the product because the market wouldn't support it. By this I mean using a touchscreen on a laptop and by doing so they price it out of the intended market…
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slurpy
I love the 'inspired by Intel' bullshit ultrabook branding. Really? Does anyone actually think any of these ultrabooks got a shred of inspiration from intel? Since pretty much all of them look like MBA clones, its painfully obvious where the 'inspiration' came from, since this is the machine that defined this category and made the formfactor mainstream- right after it was mocked to hell and back.
NO OPTICAL DRIVE??! NO ETHERNET PORT??! LOL WHAT IS APPLE THINKING
Intel's keynote was nothing more than SH*T.
The demo was a joke. 2 guys talking and doing something on screen, one of them could barely speak english and no one was filming what they were doing. But, the best part clearly was:
"We INVENTED the ultrabook". (yes, they had the nerve. "invented")
Them they talked about everything and everyone (mics, touch, laptop prototypes, etc) without mentioning anything relevant.
It is pathetic that all these so called "great" companies are powerless against Apple simply because their leaders have the same vision as some baboon, so they try to gang up against apple, even on marketing (marketing for stupid and irrational people).
Quote:
Originally Posted by v5v
Actually, there's been a fair amount of discussion in these forums about the potential benefits and liabilities. The objections are "gorilla arm" and a UI that's not really tuned for touch input, while those who want it say that some touch input is better than none, and that having it doesn't mean having to throw away your keyboard and mouse. It's just one MORE way of interacting with the machine, not a replacement for anything else.
Then don't touch it. Just because it has that capability doesn't mean you're required to use it. My wife hates trackpads and has never used the one on her MacBook Pro, but you won't find her campaigning against them just because she doesn't like it.
No. Touch on laptops is nothing more than a useless random list on the "feature sheet" that people are learning to ignore (unless you are a samsung costumer).
Why focus on touch when the OS is still ugly, unconventional, with bugs, slow, the hardware is still poor (trackpad, keyboards, elements connecting memory and CPUs, lack of decent ecosystem, etc)?
I'm at an engineering college, we all have access to a free copy of windows 8 and there's not a single hybrid/tablet/phone with it that I can see. Meanwhile, Macs and iPads are everywhere, just like Android phones and iPhones, even if Microsoft is polluting TV and public spaces with their ads that only work on morons that need attention.
If that's the way it works out then there would be no objection. However, what has happened in the past was that something that was optional at first eventually became nearly required in order to get your work done. Remember when the mouse was optional on PCs and the same statement could be made ("You don't have to use it if you don't want")?
jragosta
v5v
Then don't touch it. Just because it has that capability doesn't mean you're required to use it. My wife hates trackpads and has never used the one on her MacBook Pro, but you won't find her campaigning against them just because she doesn't like it.
If that's the way it works out then there would be no objection. However, what has happened in the past was that something that was optional at first eventually became nearly required in order to get your work done. Remember when the mouse was optional on PCs and the same statement could be made ("You don't have to use it if you don't want")?
Technically, Windows and OS X can still be used pointer-free. You have to dig through the Accessibility / Universal Access pane to set it all up, and it's considerably less practical today than with the simple interfaces of 1980s software, but it is possible.
More to the point: Over time, the vast majority of consumers (as in, other than UNIX greybeards) actually preferred the mouse. Usability tests on desktop/laptop touchscreens are not as favorable. I would speculate it's due in part to immature touch software, since most of the tech world has moved beyond the atrocious 'resistive' touchscreen systems.
Originally Posted by Dunks
I don't get what an "ultrabook" is supposed to be anyway.
"MacBook Air ripoff" is the official definition.
Originally Posted by Inkling
Thank goodness Apple doesn't need the Ultrabook label. The last thing I want is a touch screen laptop that needs the screen cleaned every day.
Of course not: they invented it! Without the MacBook Air, there wouldn't be "ultrabooks".