TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Don't look now, but Taiwan's PC and motherboard makers are jumping the gun by launching the first notebook computers, based on Intel Corp.'s unannounced mobile Pentium 4 microprocessor line.
Two Taiwanese systems houses, Mitac Technology Corp. and Elitegroup Computer Systems Co. Ltd. (ECS), have separately rolled out the world's first Pentium 4-based notebook computers--before Intel has given its blessing and officially announces the long-awaited processor in the marketplace.
Intel is expected to announce the mobile version of the Pentium 4 processor line in the next few weeks, but the chip giant has been sampling the MPU since late last year, according to analysts. Intel's Pentium 4-based mobile chip is expected to be based on 0.13-micron technology, analysts said.
Mitac's new notebook PC, the MiNote 8170, is billed as a true "desktop replacement," according to the Taipei-based company.Based on a 2.2-GHz Pentium 4 processor, the MiNote 8170 also includes ATI Technologies Inc.'s Mobility Radeon graphics chip and 16-megabytes of double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAM.
The system, which weighs less than three kilograms, also includes a 14.1-inch., flat-panel display monitor. It can also support a CD-ROM drive, DVD-ROM drive, CD-RW drive, or DVD/CD-RW combination. It also includes an internal modem, Fast Ethernet connector and optical S/PDIF sound output.
The computer also provides standard ports such as USB,VGA , a CarddBus-compliant PC Card slot, and IEEE 1394. Wireless connectivity is also supported through an IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN PC Card solution.
Meanwhile, ECS of Taipei introduced the i-Buddie 4 notebook PC. The i-Buddie 4 supports Intel's Socket 478 Pentium 4 processors running from 1.4- to 2.8-GHz.
The system is also based on a Pentium 4-complaint chip set from Silicon Integrated Systems Corp. (SiS). It also consists of SiS' 315 graphics core and 650 AGP 4X chip set as well. The system also supports DDR SDRAM, ATA 33/66/100 and enhanced IDE.
The I/O interface boasts IEEE 1394 and four USB 2.0 ports. There is also on-board 10/100 Base-T LAN networking and a 56-Kbit V.90 modem. It also has a 15-inch TFT-LCD screen.
Prices and delivery were not disclosed for the notebooks.
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