Intel Oak Trail CPU's unveiled for netbooks & tablets

During the Computex computer show in Taipei, chip maker Intel showed off its Oak Trail CPU platform aimed at netbooks & tablet PCs, with the company taking a more serious approach to portable electronics.

The Oak Trail platform is based off of Intel's successful Moorestown platform -- which is used for PCs and smartphones -- and will be supported by Microsoft Windows 7, Google Android and Chrome, and MeeGo.  Oak Trail is expected to launch sometime in early 2011, with OEMs expected to begin announcing Oak Trail-powered products soon.

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The company said Oak Trail will be 40 percent smaller, 35 percent thinner and have 40 percent lower thermal design power than Moorestown.  Oak Trail will also be able to play full high-definition videos, which is an important feature for mobile products.

Intel also discussed its Canoe Lake product, which is a netbook that is expected to have a 14-mm thick design.  If released, Canoe Lake will be the world's thinnest netbook, but some tech bloggers have criticized the feasibility -- and demand -- for such a thin netbook.

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Intel's Atom microprocessor is already popular on netbooks and other portable products, but the company is preparing for a wider interest in tablet PCs.  The company has had to adjust to a changing marketplace that has seen a growing demand for smartphones and other portable devices -- with most tablets and smartphones using an ARM processor rather than Intel products.

I'm not surprised Intel is using Computex to launch mobile technology aimed for the tablet market, especially because CEO Paul Otellini understands how valuable this growing market is expected to be in five years.  I also like how Oak Trail will integrate power reduction and increased video playback into the platform, as both features will help the company better compete against rival products.

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