SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Intel Corp. today abruptly terminated its much-touted Timna processor program. A spokesman for the Santa Clara chip giant said that trying to adapt the interface, originally designed for Direct Rambus DRAM, to support SDRAM instead ran into too many problems and would have impeded Timna's introduction.
Intel also said the sub-$600-PC price point targeted by Timna was now being met by its Celeron processor, the 810 integrated graphics chip set, and lower-cost motherboards. "Our customers told us they didn't need Timna to sell in this price range," the spokesman said.
Timna's demise means that Intel won't have an integrated on-chip Northbridge controller processor any time soon to compete with Transmeta Corp.'s Crusoe chip, National Semiconductor Corp.'s Geode MPU, or an upcoming offering from Via Technologies Inc. The Intel spokesman confirmed that no new highly-integrated processor is now under development, and Intel will rely on Celeron iterations to compete in the very low-end PC market.
The competing Transmeta and National chips vie for selected mobile or Internet-appliance portion of the markets, which Timna could have moved into. However, these rival chips did not target the low-end desktop PC market that was to be Timna's main thrust.
Timna's death also spelled the end to Intel's abortive Memory Translator Hub. Intel confirmed it is dropping MTH, which was to have modified the Timna controller interface from Direct RambusDRAM to work with much less costly SDRAMs. Originally introduced as a memory alternative for the 820 and a version for the 840 Direct RDRAM chip sets, MTH earlier this year ran into technical problems, resulting in a crash modification effort. That forced a delay in introducing Timna, which also used MTH to
support SDRAMs. The Intel spokesman said further work was needed to fix the MTH, which could have further postponed Timna's launch beyond an acceptable time.
Intel will use the Timna resources and planned production capacity now to augment its Celeron and 810 chip set operations.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
Hot applications in 2010:
We've compiled a list of 10 technology applications you should watch for in 2010, ranging from e-book readers to 3-D TVs. We examine the features that make these apps so compelling as well unresolved issues.
Top 25 predictions for semis in 2010:
2010 is just beginning to unfold in the electronics industry. Looking into our crystal ball, we have released our own chip forecasts--and other predictions--for 2010.
Seven things to fix in 2010:
The editors of EE Times came up with their own informal list of things we hope engineers fix in 2010, spanning everything from nano-lithography to space travel. What do you want to see get done this year?
'09 moves that are shaping the future:
This was a brutal year, but the industry gets a nod for showing grace under fire. Here's our Top 10 guide to the coming year, illustrating what to expect in 2010.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
