Intel Notebook: Slim, Lightweight, Leather

    Earlier this notebook was written here , but this topic contains a lot of text and at the end there are a large number of photos of this device.

    When Intel asked designers to create a better laptop, its wishes were really simple: the device should be fashionable, should be able to connect to all known types of wireless networks and should contain all the latest and fastest designs, as well as be as thin. like the Motorola RAZR. Intel engineers, along with Ziba Design from Portland, Oregon, have taken on this challenge.

    The result is a laptop codenamed Intel mobile Metro notebook, which has a thickness of less than 0.70 inches (1.78 cm), which is about a quarter more than the thickness of your favorite Motorola phone. This thickness makes it the thinnest laptop in the world, and, thanks to its weight of 2.25 pounds (1.02 kg), makes it the lightest of laptop computers. Also among interesting features, there is the possibility of a permanent Internet connection using all kinds of wireless technologies.

    Unlike other prototypes, including those owned by Intel, this device may soon be located on store shelves. Intel, so far, has not announced the start date for the production of this laptop, but people familiar with the subject say the company is announcing plans for a laptop a little later this year.

    The small laptop, the Big Margin

    Notebook, was first introduced in April this year at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing, but the designers provided BusinessWeek.com with an exclusive opportunity to take a closer look at the technologies and ideas that formed the basis of the product. If nevertheless it will be released and sold everywhere, then this product will lead to a rethinking of the use of computers, design and marketing.

    This may turn out to be good news for Intel, which is seeing a sharp drop in sales in light of the price battle with AMD. It is also in the interests of the company to warm up the interest of customers in devices using their processors. The laptop will include Intel's development not only for computing, but also for working with memory and connecting to wireless networks. The prototype also includes devices developed by companies funded by Intel Capital's subsidiary venture capital firm.

    The company will be interested in large sales, especially in the market for high-tech devices with large profits. According to IDC research, laptop sales in the price range from $ 2,000 annually grow by 1.4%, compared with 73.5% for laptop sales in the price range from $ 500 to 999. The main reason for this is that sales of computer equipment to corporations, which are the largest buyers, are falling.

    Almost a Jewel

    Consumers are the biggest sales engine. And in most cases, the choice of the consumer depends not only on the content, but also on the form. At the same time, most computer manufacturers simplify the design in order to reduce the price of the product as much as possible.

    This is where Intel and Ziba want to stand out. “Intel wants to drive communication,” said Roger Kay, president of consulting company Endpoint Technology Associates. In addition to making the laptop thin, they also used materials that reflect high quality and coolness. A laptop made of champagne-colored magnesium is decorated with exquisite gold accents.

    “It looks like a jewel,” said Omer Kotzer, creative director of Ziba Design, an electronics design company.

    And like mobile phones that are created with different tunes and colors, this laptop strives to be considered a personal fashion accessory. The laptop comes with a folder that connects to the chassis using magnets. The folder will be available in various colors and will serve as a wireless signal booster. On one side, there will be a screen designed by E Ink, one of Intel Capital's investments. This screen will be able to display a picture, calendar or to-do list for the day.

    Embedded chips

    Although the designers say that the product is designed for both sexes, women may like it as a fashion accessory - a group of people that Intel has long dreamed of getting. “Lately, women have increasingly been a key player in deciding whether to buy high-tech products,” said Richard Shim, an analyst at IDC. “More and more companies are beginning to pay attention to the female segment of the market.”

    But Intel says the laptop is designed for all genders. “As the market shows, companies that are interested in only one segment of the market are failing,” says Kay. Patrik Lynch, Intel's manager, said the design was designed to be interperson for people of various professions, such as real estate agents or salespeople who might need to work in different places, such as Starbucks, a car, or another company’s office.

    These users will love the fact that the device supports a constant wireless Internet connection. Today laptops can connect to WiFi networks, but to connect to the Internet via cellular networks, you need special adapters. The chips built into this laptop model allow users to connect to cellular, WiFi or WiMax networks. Intel plans to release this embedded chip in late 2007 - early 2008.

    Built-in cellular connectivity can change the way laptops are sold now. In the United States, cellular network technologies differ from the providers of this service. Therefore, computer manufacturers may start selling special adapters, such as an adapter for SIM cards used by some operators in Europe. Or adapted laptops will need to be sold through networks of service provider companies.

    The Furore Factor

    The laptop also has other features that Intel hopes will attract customers.

    It contains built-in microphones from Fortemedia, another company that Intel invested in, which was created specifically to suppress ambient noise, and they are usually used by Internet telephony fans using programs such as Skype. Also, the laptop is made with improved protection, it boasts a fingerprint scanner and the ability to remotely destroy the hard drive.

    Of course, not one of the versions that will enter the market will contain all these features, and even if it does, there is no certainty that the laptop will have an adequate price. “For Intel, the price doesn't matter,” said Bob Sweet, Report Director at Ziba. The same cannot be said for computer manufacturers whose revenues are under pressure.

    Nevertheless, Intel and Ziba believe that the laptop will make a splash in some market segments. “If you want to stir up the market,” Sweet says. “This is exactly what we must do!”

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    from BusinessWeek.com

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