IDF: Trends from Ultrabook to slim desktop

Thin is the focus of this year's IDF, from ultrabook to the thin-ITX motherboard. Intel also introduced newer X79 chipset.

Ultrabook at IDF

The first day of 2011 IDF (Forum of Intel developers) focus on mobile. Vice president of Intel Mobile, said Mooly Eden began a speech with important discussions about Ultrabook. The disagreement between Intel and Microsoft seems to have dissolved, at least at this time, when Windows 8 is being performed on Intel hardware platform.
Ultrabook pretty interesting story. Intel is pushing the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to develop this ultra-portable laptops, and requires the product label must be assigned Ultrabook. So you will see both series Ultrabook as Ultrabook Toshiba, Lenovo Ultrabook ... While each manufacturer may have a separate model, they all have signs on each product Ultrabook Intel. And though Intel certainly will try to promote Ultrabook, but the OEM to not see much appeal, because thin profit margins by paying for the Intel logo.

It seems, Ultrabook is born to compete with Apple's Macbook Air, but a direct comparison is not much appropriate. Ultrabook, as we have seen, the back of the machine a little thicker, because the integrated Ethernet port and VGA jacks. Meanwhile, Air eliminate both this connection, thinner.

This shows that there is a undeniable market for ultraportable notebooks, ultra-thin, running Windows and have the ability to meet the business environment. Ultrabook is a welcome addition in the world of laptops running Windows with the body "bulky", the big screen and heavy.

Thin-ITX: desktop also tends to thin

But do not forget Intel desktop. Even if a sizable percentage of PC sales are turning to an array of mobile computers, the demand for desktop is still there. However, the design of the desktop systems are changing. Intel forecast sales of standard PC box will stand down 4% in the next few years. The sleek system with a screen saver will grow 11-13%. PC all-in-one will grow more than 30%.
While Apple has gained with the computer all-in-one iMac their popularity, HP and other vendors also achieved considerable success in this segment in recent years. Intel is trying to further promote this trend with the development of a new standard platform. Intel's first attempt at making a so-called "thin ITX" motherboard design a mini-ITX, but was "withdrawn" compact of all sizes.

So, with this motherboard, you can imagine a computer all-in-a-thick double thickness around a CD case.

This particular motherboard supports processors of Intel's next generation, Cedar Trail Atom. It really is an illustration of the limitations of thin-ITX: will initially be limited to run Intel's Atom CPU. However, the trend Ultrabook CPU will switch to the generation of Ivy Bridge, we can hope that the CPU Ivy Bridge will finally present in the apparatus extremely compact PC.

X79 Chipset

MSI has brought to the IDF and Gigabyte motherboards first to integrate Intel's X79 chipset new life. The motherboard is capable of running the Sandy Bridge CPU Intel Extreme is about to be released.
Representatives said that the MSI MSI X79 motherboard, as well as some current motherboards Z68 their support PCI Express 3.0 standard. Like the other motherboard manufacturer, MSI will offer a variety of motherboards have four or even eight RAM slots, supporting up to 128 GB DDR3.
The motherboard will integrate more advanced features for performance enthusiasts, such as at least the first four speed control PWM cooling fan, a sleek EFI BIOS with graphical interface for users (even allow you to take screenshots of BIOS) and the capacitors for high-end military.

X79 Series motherboards targeting performance enthusiasts.

Along with Ultrabook, thin-ITX and X79, Intel seems is looking to develop their technology to other classes of PC products, whether the world is moving into the post-PC.