Intel launches Johnstown, Misty Lake

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA: Intel launched two of its desktop motherboards – the D945GSEJT (also codenamed Johnstown) and DG41MJ (codenamed Misty Lake) at its Intel Solutions Summit at Gold Coast, Australia on Wednesday. Both these products are targeted largely at Nettops, which the company believes is going to be the next big wave in computing.

Johnstown comes with a 45nm Atom processor N270 and Mobile 945GSE Express chipset which can be used as platforms for think-form factor, low-power all-in-ones (AIO) or thin client PCs, especially aimed at entry-level home entertainment devices or education PCs, Internet kiosks and home surveillance units. This mobo will be available only through solution providers and original device manufacturers.

Norman Cheng, product manager at Intel’s Client Desktop Group explained that this was because the mobo had several features like fanless passive cooling, horizontal SO-DIMM, wireless connectivity via the PCI express mini card slot with power consumption below 50W.

The motherboard’s height is also just 20mm, which means that system integrators can develop innovative chassis that have lesser footprint and can be fit behind the screen. With this product, Intel claimed that it was trying to diversify the traditional PC to move to the vertical model and help SIs to innovate with its chassis design.

“We believe that these features will push up the price of the motherboard, which will find better adoption with the SIs and ODMs over the retail channel,” he added. Misty Lake, on the other hand, will be sold through the entire broad-based channel network.

Cheng also pointed out that more than 6 lakh small form factor desktops are forecasted to post a 33 per cent CAGR growth from 2008 to 2012 and the $400 desktop is predicted to grow at 20 per cent CAGR during this period.

“Customers are increasingly looking at SFF and products which consume lower power that meet the price points of the target audience. We are working at enabling our ecosystem partners within this segment to create purpose-built platforms for customers who are looking at desktops that offer basic content consumption and Net connectivity,” Cheng said.

Other products which will be launched this year will be the Lynnfield which will be out next quarter. The other debutante this year is the Capella mobile platform which will have latest Nehalem micro architecture and 32nm process technology, Turbo Boost.

Intel has already started working with its channel on these products so that when the products are ready to be launched, the partners will be trained on it and the inventory will also be available with distributors to ensure quick availability.

“Around 20 Bianca/Katama family SKUs will be available with Capella for channel at launch, when they start building these products, so that their go-to-market time is reduced,” said Steve Dallman, VP - Sales and Marketing Group and GM of Worldwide Reseller Channel Organization, Intel.

Vinita Bhatia traveled to Gold Coast in Australia as Intel’s guest.