Don’t think of the approach as low powered chips; think of it as more performance per watt.
To a PC, heat is the enemy. Too much heat will consume PC innards faster than Hannibal Lecter at a sweetbreads buffet. Without fans and heatsinks, modern PCs wouldn’t even function. We won’t even discuss what happens to the unfortunate user who learns that “laptop” makes a better product description than a place to rest a portable computer with an overheated power scheme.
Intel opened its Developer Forum in San Francisco tuesday, and new CEO Paul Otellini talked to the crowd about where Intel plans to go with its platforms. He described the industry as being on a “performance per watt” course, according to a press release. High-powered chips with lower power consumption.
The company’s future would touch on many parts of everyday life. “Intel innovation will continue to deliver unique digital enterprise, home, office and mobile features, such as greater manageability, security and virtualization, along with an increasing capability to manage and view digital content,” Mr. Otellini said to attendees.
Gains in power consumption mean better use of existing or scarce resources. That could lead to wider introduction of computers and other technology to places lacking the infrastructure many advanced societies take for granted. Mr. Otellini cited one example via remote video from India, where a computer in a distant village runs off a car battery and can handle temperatures of 100 degrees F.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
