AMD readies Taylor, Trinidad and Socket S1, M2

CHIP FIRM AMD said in documents seen by the INQ that while its Lancaster 25W and 35W mobile socket 754 is scheduled for Q1 of this year, it has some other product offerings on its table.

Never forget that Turion - known as [Cen]Turion to the INQ - has a similar flying glyph to the Intel Centrino brand, and is a brand umbrella, not a single chip, just like Chipzilla's parasol. But Turion isn't as important to AMD as Ivanhoe* - which is the real secret weapon in AMD's branding plans.

If AMD sticks to its Ivanhoe last, this will be a way to change people's mind about Centrino. AMD internal market research shows most of us dumb consumers think Centrino is a processor, proving how successful Intel has been. There will probably be a logo launch for "Ivanhoe".

The Newark 62W core uses SSE3, the 754 socket, and will be built using 90 nanometre technology. That's the first half of this year.

[image_library_tag 4309, hspace='3' align='right' alt='AMD's [Cen]Turion',default]Future projected chips include Taylor, a dual core two channel DDR-2 chip, performing at between 25W and 30W, and including security and virtualisation and embedded in the mysterious Socket S1. Toledo, another dual core processor, will consume 110W, but will also have a life as a notebook chip, as well as a desktop dual babe.

AMD is already planning a next generation mobile core - but that's slated for 2007 and may rely on some interesting form factors.

Trinidad, in contradistinction, is a desktop replacement mobile chip - scheduled for 2006, dual core, and using Socket M2, and powered at 62W.

The chip company has formed a "tiger team" to take on Intel and win - and is looking far into the future - perhaps as long as five years ahead. µ

* IVANHOE was an icon in the fight of the Anglo Saxons against the Norman invastion. Well, it was, according to Walter Scott, anyway.