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Intel’s first Broadwell chip is ready to go and the first laptops, tablets, and 2-in-1s featuring the new processor should hit the streets soon.
The Intel Core M processor is a 4.5 watt chip that has the kind of power consumption (and efficiency) you’d expect from a cheap Intel Atom processor. But early benchmark tests suggest this little chip is a beast: It seems to outperform Core i3 and Core i5 Haswell chips that use 3 times as much power in at least some tests.
That’s good news if you’ve been hoping for higher-performance portable devices. But it means that if you’re looking for cheap devices, you’ll probably be better off buying a system with an Intel Bay Trail chip for now.
Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web. You can keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.
- Some early benchmarks of Intel’s Core M “Broadwell” CPU
An Intel “Llama Mountain” reference system handily beat the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 and 3 in 3DMark and SunSpider benchmarks which measure graphics and JavaScript performance, respectively. It also came out well ahead of systems featuring NVIDIA Tegra K1 and AMD Mullins chips.[AnandTech] - … and a few more benchmarks
These results aren’t quite as detailed, but they include a look at the Broadwell tablet’s Cinebench score. It’s also much better than you’d expect from a system with a Bay Trail or AMD Beema or Mullins processor. [HotHardware] - Marvell updates its Armada chip family with the Armada 1500 Pro 4KÂ
Chip maker Marvell might not have a new low-power chip for laptops or tablets, but the company is hoping to power your next Smart TV or TV box with a new chip that can handle Ultra HD video. [Marvell] - DSLR (Damn Small Linux Remake) is a complete operating system that uses just over 100MB
Damn Small Linux is dead… long live Damn Small Linux Remake. It’s a fully functional operating system that’s not quite as compact as a 15MB Tiny Core Linux system, but which includes far more apps that work out of the box. [Hacker News] - Now you can install free Chrome web apps even when you’re not signed into the Chrome Web Store
Don’t ask me why you’d want to do that… but now you can. [+François Beaufort] - Report: No new Kobo tablets coming this year
Kobo’s instead said to be focusing on getting its app preloaded on other Android devices. Meanwhile the company continues to crank out interesting (if moderately pricey) eReaders like the new waterproof Kobo Aura H20. [The Digital Reader] - Hey look, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus showed up at the FCC this week
This isn’t quite as exciting as it would have been if it hit the FCC *before* Apple announced the new phones… but Apple has a way of letting its product pages go live on the FCC moments after its official launch events. [FCC]
Nice. I’d like to buy a powerful fanless ultraportable in the 10″ – 11.6″ screen size. Hopefully not a hybrid because having a tablet use case usually requires large bezels for easier holding and results in a larger footprint compared to a notebook form factor only. Besides, I don’t want a 10+ inch tablet even if they make the bezels small.
Hybrids might actually be useful because you can very easily change the keyboard if you spill something on it or simply break it with sufficient use.
What’s this “release a new chip a day” strategy? Some form of the old shell game or what? Try to follow the pea. Or are they just throwing everything they see around them at the wall hoping something will stick?
Wow, laying on the pessimism pretty thick… Though, not entirely uncalled for but a little exaggerated here…
Core M has been in the works for awhile now, it’s the replacement for the Intel Y series chips to finally get a core product out that can operate in the premium range fan-less mobile device category…
The official announce was already months ago and now we’re finally seeing benchmarks as we wait for the actual products to come out… which is the main point of this article…
Intel is pushing these out this year, as mobility is their priority, meaning we only really have to wait for the rest of the broadwell lineup that’ll they’ll likely hold off on until early next year as they work out the kinks in the 14nm FAB… Ditto with anything else relying on 14nm FAB, like the Braswell update for the ATOM series, though like the Core M Intel may still release a limited number of the value edition version of the more Premium ATOM, Cherry Trail, for the more premium tablet range to hold users over until they can get Braswell out by the second half of 2015…
Meanwhile, similar release announcements have already come from ARM manufacturers and is just par the course… Not everything gets released at the same time or in the same sequence every year but nature abhors a vaccuum and so does business seeking to keep the market engine going… not to mention the news cycles but an update is an update, even if minor…
Cant wait for ultra slim fanless Core M laptops/hybrids…… Like the Asus one from IDF
“But early benchmark tests suggest this little chip is a beat”…
That sentence makes no sense!!!