News Bits: New Averatec 7170, Intel Back on Top for Retail Notebook Sales, AMD K8L Processor in 2008

By Charles P. Jefferies, NotebookReview Staff | | 8273 Reads

Averatec introduces its first dual-core notebook

July 10^th - Averatec announced its first dual-core notebook today, the 17" AV7170-EC1. It features AMD Turion X2 Mobile technology, and is designed to be fully compatible with the upcoming Microsoft Windows vista operating system.

The AV7170-EC1 has a similar appearance to other models in the 7100 series, with sleek black and silver styling. It has a one-inch profile and weighs in at 7.2 pounds.

Specifications for the AV7170-EC1 are as follows:

AMD Turion X2 TL-50 processor (1.6GHz, 2x 256kb L2 cache)
17" WXGA+ AveraBrite LCD
Nvidia GeForce Go6100 integrated graphics
1GB DDR2-533 memory, maximum 2GB
DVD+/-RW DL optical drive
100GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive
802.11b/g wireless
Windows XP Media Center Edition
Ports:

3x USB 2.0
Type II PCMCIA + Expresscard slots
Firewire
VGA for external monitors
56k modem, 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
5-in-1 memory card reader

Size and weight - 15.5" W x 10.9" D x 1.0 - 1.37" H, 7.2 lbs

The Averatec AV7170-EC1 will have an estimated price of $1,149 USD, offered exclusively at Costco stores nationwide. It is backed by a one-year limited warranty with one year of free 24/7 tech support.

No AMD K8L processors until 2008

AMD has indicated that its new K8L processors for the next-generation socket AM3 platform will not be available until 2008. They are expected to be compatible with the existing Socket AM2 motherboards through adding DDR2 and DDR3 memory controllers.

AMD's latest roadmap has Socket AM2 dual-core processors using a 65nm process for Q1 2007, starting with the Athlon X2 lineup (3800+, 4200+, 4600+). AMD's Athlon 64 FX series processors and single-core Semprons will also be produced on a 65nm process in 2007; the Sempron will receive a memory speed boost from DDR2-667 to DDR2-800.
By Q3 2007, all of AMD's entry level processors will feature dual-core architecture, the same time when the last single-core CPU, the Athlon 64, will be put out to pasture.

AMD is not expected to make any changes to the microarchitecture of its CPUs for the next 18 months and possibly longer.

More news on exploding Dell laptop

A Dell notebook that burst into flames during a conference in Japan last month has damaged Dell's attempt to improve its image. Dell said the incident received more publicity than such incidents usually do. This is due in part to Dell's customer service already being under attack for cost-cutting at its call centers last year. In response to angry customers, Dell plans to spend over $100 million to improve service.

Thus far, Dell has not suffered financially; stock prices have been largely unaffected. According to Dell, its engineers examined/tested the remains of the notebook and concluded that the source of the fire was caused by a faulty battery cell.

The customer with the now destroyed notebook has been given a new one.

Intel's "Socket P" for Santa Rosa

DailyTech came across an Intel roadmap for the upcoming Socket P mobile processor socket, for use in Intel's next-generation Santa Rosa mobile platform.

(view large image)

Socket P is still a pin grid, and there will be no backwards compatibility with it. Intel's guidance specifically states:

Not pin-compatible with Intel Core 2 Duo for Napa, or Intel Core Duo T2500

The Santa Rosa platform is expected to launch in the first half of 2007 with the Socket P-based Core 2 Duo processors. It is the next major revision in the ever-popular Centrino mobile platform. It will bring the new "Crestline" GM965 Express chipset, and a derivative of Intel's desktop GMA X3000 graphics core.

Intel climbs back on top for retail sales in U.S.

For the first time in May we saw bricks-and-mortar retail sales of AMD based PCs outpace that of Intel machines. PCs include both notebooks and desktop systems. According to data from Current Analysis Intel climbed back on top in June when 51.2% of PCs that sold were Intel powered while 48.5% were AMD powered. In notebooks specifically, 66.2% of notebook systems sold had an Intel processor while AMD lost ground by having 33.4% of the sales -- in May AMD had 42.3%.

According to Current Analysis the red-hot sales of Toshiba model notebooks selling for $599 and less in stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA helped boost Intels share of the market.

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