Intel: MacBook Air Processor Clone Gets Detailed

Intel has managed to shrink yet another processor for the ultra-thin notebook market, just as it did with Apple's MacBook Air chip. Given the fact that Apple did not require an exclusive processor from Intel,
the whole industry is dreaming about miniature, low-voltage processors to power their future ethereal notebooks.

Lenovo and Fujitsu will be the first wave of computer manufacturers to take advantage of Intel's low-voltage Core 2 Duo SL7100 LV chip in their upcoming offerings. The new processor is a perfect match for Apple's chip: it was shrunk until it got 60 percent smaller than the common low-voltage parts from Intel. According to Connie Brown, an Intel spokeswoman, the chip is manufactured using the same 65-nanometer process node.

There is one difference, though. The Core 2 Duo SL7100 LV has been shrunk to match Apple's chip, yet it takes up less power and operates at lower frequencies. The SL7100 LV will feature a clock speed of 1.2GHz and will feature 4MB of L2 cache. The Intel Specifications Sheet shows that the processor takes up 12 watts of power, while MacBook Air's CPU would eat up 20 watts when operating at full load (1.6GHz or 1.8GHz). The processor has been built from the ground up, and not on MacBook Air's CPU.

"These [SL7100 LV processors] are similar but not identical to the Apple processor," Brown said. "The MacBook Air processor was specially developed to meet Apple's needs and is also available to other PC makers," she continued.

The processor will surely be a success, given the fact that Lenovo and Fujitsu are merely drooling to grab it quicker. Lenovo has great plans for it and will include the Core 2 Duo SL7100 LV in a brand-new mobile computer I have written about in previous articles, the ThinkPad X300. According to the specifications published on the Best Buy website, it will feature 2GB of RAM, a 64GB solid-state drive, and a 13.3-inch screen.

Fujitsu will take its own shot at ultra-thin mobile computing and will introduce the LifeBook P8010 ultra-portable laptop, which will feature a 12.1-inch screen, a DVD-RW optical drive, as well as wireless and wired networking.