Intel Demos Moorestown Platform for Mobile Devices

At this week's Intel Developer Forum in Taiwan, Intel conducted its first public demonstration of Moorestown -- a new Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform that company executives say will "increase battery life an order of magnitude" in a variety of portable devices.

With the launch of Moorestown, Intel is on track to reduce "idle power by more than 10 times compared to the first-generation MIDs based on the Intel Atom processor," said Intel Senior Vice President Anand Chandrasekher, who is also general manager of the company's ultra mobility group.

Mobile Internet

Moorestown consists of two silicon-based devices, a system on a chip (SoC) and a companion hub chip. Code-named Lincroft, the SoC integrates an Intel Atom processor and memory controller with graphics and video encode/decode capabilities. The platform's Langwell hub chip provides support for the I/O ports that connect the platform's SoC to wireless, storage and display components.

With support for 3G, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and mobile TV, Chandrasekher said Moorestown is poised to become a catalyst for further extending the Internet experience into the mobile space. The potential applications are expected to include entertainment and media, connected GPS navigation, online gaming, social networking, and data communication.

"As the next billion people connect to and experience the Internet, significant opportunities lie in the power of technology and the development of purpose-built devices that deliver more targeted computing needs and experiences," Chandrasekher observed. "Technology innovation is the catalyst for new user experiences, industry collaborations, and business models."

Building HSPA Modules

Ericsson and Intel have already begun collaborating to produce High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) data modules optimized for the Moorestown platform and a Moblin-based Linux operating system. With 221 commercially deployed networks around the world, HSPA is the world's most widely deployed 3G mobile broadband technology.

"The high performance, low power, and compatibility of...