|
[ Go to June 1997 Table of Contents ]
News
-- by David Gabel
Intel is going mobile in a big way. The chip giant recently introduced a mobile chipset, a CPU form factor and a dock set that will ease the production of notebook docking stations. The new chipset, the 430TX PCI, is designed for notebooks but can be adapted for desktop models. It has been optimized for the MMX-enabled Pentium, and it supports Dynamic Power Management, which provides for Advanced Configuration and Power Management. All this means your notebook's battery life will be extended and green PCs should get even greener. The two-chip set supports the Universal Serial Bus standard, along with concurrent PCI (PCI 2.1), which provides smoother video and PCI audio. Intel also unveiled the Mobile Module, a circuit board that carries the CPU, some support circuitry and one of the two chips in the 430TX chipset. This form factor was needed since the introduction of Pentium chips in the tape-carrier package (TCP) format. This package does get the chip onto a motherboard in a very small space, but it creates manufacturing difficulties for OEMs. The Mobile Module simply plugs into a motherboard. Finally, the 380 Dock Set contains two chips that will support PCI and ISA expandability for docked mobile PCs. With the set incorporated into a docking-station design, you can hot-dock your notebook and get up to four PCI slots and three ISA slots in the docking station. The Dock Set is compatible with current and future generations of processors and chip sets.
|