News Bits: January Intel Pentium M Release, IBM ThinkPad TV Ads, What Technology Gender Gap?

January Release Schedule and Pricingfor new Pentium M Processors

It's looking more and more like the middle of January will be the time for consumers to see the next roundof Intel Pentium M releases. The next round of releases will featurethe Pentium M 770, that willhave a 533MHz front side bus speedand 2.13GHz clock speed. At the current time Intel Pentium M chips only feature up to 400MHz bus speed and 2.1GHz clock speed (Intel Pentium M 765 has these specs). Upon release the Intel Pentium M 770 will cost about $640. Here's a rundown on all the new Pentium M chips we should see in January:

1. Intel Pentium M 770 - 2.13GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache, 90nm Architecture - $640
2. Intel Pentium M 760 - 2.0 GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache, 90nm Architecture - $420
3. Intel Pentium M 750 - 1.86 GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache, 90 nm Architecture - $295
4. Intel Pentium M 740 - 1.73 GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache, 90nm Architecture - $240
5. Intel Pentium M 730 - 1.60 GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache, 90nm Architecture - $210
6. Intel Pentium M 758 (Low Voltage) - 1.50 GHz, 400MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache, 90 nm Architecture - $285
7. Intel Pentium M 753 (Ultra Low Voltage) - 1.20GHz, 400MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache, 90 nm Architecture - Price Unknown

Although these are the release dates on the processors, it doesn't mean notebooks will be immediately available with these chips built-in. Usually it will take a month or so for the new processors to filter into the manufacturing line of notebook makers.

When Intel launches its next generation Sonoma Pentium M processors, the first of which will be the Pentium 780with 2.26GHz processor speed, these January releases will of course experience price cuts while the first-generation of Intel Pentium M chips being sold today will seize to be manufactured.

Humorous IBM "On Demand" Ads for ThinkPad will Continue with same characters -- "Check please"

Now, I was a little upset to hear IBM was leaving the PC business and handing operations over to Lenovo. But of greater concern to me was whether those humorous ads with characters Sean, Richard and Denver would continue. You know, the ad in which Denver explains that IBM ThinkPads are equipped with air-bag-like technology that protects the notebook PCs if they fall. So Richard asks, "Like this?" as he dropsthe ThinkPadon the floor.Next Denver says that the computer is not his, Richard says, "Check, please."

The good news is that the ads rate so highly and are so popular that the ad agency responsible for producing them have been asked to do more and the same characters will be featured. The popularity of these ads lies within the fact the guys featured are everyday business people doing everyday goofy things that tend to happen at work.

Ad Video: http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/tv.html?re=tvads(click on filmstrip on far right for the ThinkPad"check please" advertisement)

More: http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/adtrack/2004-12-12-ibm-track_x.htm

What technology gender gap? Women under 30 might be more savvy with computers than their male peers.

It is often assumed that using computers and technology is a "male thing", but you'd be wrong when talking about the 30 and under crowd. In a recentsurvey from Harris Interactivethat was commissioned byIntel, the study found that women are closing the technology gap.

When looking at the 30 and underage group, women use technology at about the same rate as men, said Intel cultural anthropoligist Genevieve Bell.

It is true thatwomen and men do use computers differently. Women focus on communication and using computers as a tool. Men use computers more for recreation, such as gaming. A high percentage of both men and women under 30 consider email "critical to their daily lives." About 58% of women and 56% of men "feel lost" if they don't check e-mail daily.

One very interesting piece of information is thatsubstantially more women than men want wireless Internet access. The survey of 2,545 adults found that 39% of women believe the most important feature of notebook computers is wireless Internet access. Only 29% of men found wireless notebooks essential.

 

Regarding the new release in January would you recommend holding off on purchasing a new notebook? Does this new release mean that the current prices on notebooks with Pent M will come down sometime in the new year?

 

Well, if you can wait until mid-January then you will see lower prices arrive soon after that date for processors already being aold and then a drop in notebook prices for current chips would be inevitable. The date is getting close, so maybe it is worth waiting...or if you want a spec'd out notebook with the fastest chip available then it certainly is worth waiting.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by bamibluiz