Intel sees huge market for faster microprocessors

Leading computer chipmaker Intel Corp. sees a huge market for faster microprocessors, especially with nearly 450 million people using personal computers that still run at 700 megahertz or less.

While those PCs were state-of-the-art two to four years ago, they already predate the MP3 revolution, streaming video on the Internet, recordable DVDs, and the online gaming phenomenon.

Most recent data, from InfoTrends Research Group, Inc. shows that 33 percent of online households own a digital camera. By 2005, Forrester Research says that 92 percent of US online households will create and share personal multimedia content.

Last Tuesday, Intel launched in the Philippines as well as worldwide its highest performing Pentium 4 processor ever, running at 2200 megahertz or 2.2 gigahertz (2.2 billion cycles per second). Built using Intel’s newest and most advanced manufacturing technologies, the processor sets the stage for a new class of high performance PCs that power increasingly popular digital music, photography, and video uses, as well as the latest applications being developed for the workplace.

"People are making digital media a regular part of their lives and the new technology behind the Pentium 4 processor at 2.2 GHz makes those experienced better yet, according to Intel Microelectronics Phils. country manager Ricky Banaag. Systems based on this new processors are available immediately from leading computer makers nationwide.

He noted that this holiday season brought another surge in sales of digital cameras and as consumers use such devices to record and share their lives with others, the highest performing PCs enable the best experiences.

It was only in November of last year that Intel launched its Pentium 4 processor running at two GHz and in Nov. 2000, the 1.5 GHz. This early, Intel expects the 3GHz to be available before the end of the year. – Mary Ann Reyes