Be careful how you read this story. Some people are taking it as meaning there will be no more Z-Series; possibly forgeting that there is a Z-series market outside the netbook market.
Only last month, Intel told me that Menlow (the platform that uses the Z-Series CPUs) will continue alongside Moorestown. I understand that this is because Moorestown won’t initially support Windows products and Intel need an offering for the Windows-based ultra mobile market. A small market, yes, but a growing one.
There’s one aspect that we need to consider though. PineTrail could be so close in architecture, size and power requirements to Menlow that PineTrail becomes the platform used for Windows-based ultra mobile devices until Windows-capable Moorestown variants come along in 2010. It seems unlikely though based on what we’ve heard.
All will be answered when I go to IDF is September though so you don’ t need to worry for too long.
Intel to suspend Atom Z sales to netbook makers, say sources.
New article: Digitimes: Intel to suspend Atom Z sales to netbook makers. http://cli.gs/3r3gZ
mooretown wont support windows? i am guessing its not some technical reason for that missing support…
According to reports, there will be two versions of Moorestown, or at least the Windows based versions will be worse off than the Mobilin V2 based one. Windows has too much background tasks and threads bouncing to be viable as a low power device to be used in phones to achieve standby times of 50x Menlow. Moblin V2 will be able to do that however.
The Korean manufacturers of UMPCs will finally find themselves a disadvantage using Windows based versions over Moblin V2 devices. With phone usage, the current 10 hour idle power Menlow has is simply not acceptable. Phones sit in many users pockets for 150+ hours while it is waiting for user input.
Any truth to the possibility that Moorestown will be “left homeless”? http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/07/30/moorestown_future_cloudy/