Global sales of Intel-based Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) since the launch of the Menlow platform last year have been less than 30,000 units, a lot lower than Intel’s estimate of 150,000-200,000 units, reports Digitimes. The economic downturn, the sources claimed, was part of the problem.
Netbooks are now “more popular” than the iPhone. According to the latest IDC projections, netbook sales are projected be 21.5 million in 2009.
Intel has been selling its Menlow chips to makers producing netbooks in order to clear its extra inventory, but has started to notify partners that the next-generation Moorestown platform will focus only on the MID market and not cross into other segments like Netbooks.
Intel’s Atom-based Menlow and Moorestown chips are designed to run Linux on MIDs with a finger friendly user interface modified by Intel. In April 2009, Intel turned their Moblin OS over to the Linux Foundation.
Whether Moorestown can actually achieve the energy frugality of silicon competitors like Qualcomm and Texas Instruments remains to be seen, says C/Net.
With the dual-core processor version, devices are also capable of running Windows XP and Windows Vista. Atom CPUs can run Windows on UMPCs. UMPC products are designed to run Windows exclusively.
Intel plans to launch the Moorestown platform for MIDs at the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010, while the 32nm Medfield platform will be launched in 2011. Battery life should improve with Medfield from two to three hours to closer to five hours with WiMAX, 3G/HSPA, and/or LTE connectivity provided.
Both Quanta Computer and Compal Electronics have already started testing Moorestown, and engineering samples are expected to be ready in September, says Digitimes, with related products to launch in the first quarter of 2010.
ARM-based devices — both Netbooks and handhelds — lack a Windows operating system and can’t run PC applications. Freescale, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and others are looking to Google’s Android OS to counter the marquee draw that Windows has for Netbooks and UMPCs.
