Intel will push the performance and capability of present day PCs by introducing a Nehalem microarchitecture-based processor. This new processor would use a quad-core chips that is intended to be used in advanced and high-end gaming computers.

According to Intel, the Nehalem-based processors will still carry the company’s popular “Core” brand. Dubbed as the Core i7, the first Nehalem desktop chip will target gamers, designers and creative professionals.

Initially, there will be two versions. The black Core i7 or the Extreme Edition will be Intel’s fastest and highest-end chips. Blue labeled chips, on the other hand will be a step down.

Upcoming Core chips that doesn’t carry code-name will be tagged as Penryn. It will be based on Intel’s older chip architecture and will have the Core 2 mark.

Intel refuses to disclose the specifications of the new Core i7, but sources revealed that it will feature a new integrated memory controller and a new breakthrough feature. Intel however hinted that the new breakthrough feature will give PC increased performance and energy efficiency.

Source: Information Week

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Many predict that 2008 will be the year when laptops would finally succeed in their bid to dethrone desktops as the PC of choice. I agree.

For two decades, the desktop has lorded over almost all conceivable machines which could read and process electronic data. It was supposed to be the “future” of data processing. Everybody thought that the size and shape of the PC would not change significantly for generations to come.

Small Enough?

It’s not difficult to see why many didn’t dismiss the desktop as something that’s only transitional. Back when hard disks were still as big as cupboards, many wished for a computer that could easily fit one’s bedroom without having to throw out everything in it, including the bed. It took several decades before that prayer was answered. When IBM came out with a design that perfectly fitted study and office tables, many fostered the conviction that this was what a computer should look like and that any alteration of its structure would considerably diminish its appeal and even functionality.

Of course, being the only constant thing in this world aside from politics, change redefined the looks and functions of the PC. The world shrunk, and time became a very expensive commodity. Everything has to be done fast. While the term “multitasking” was already popular even during the days of Windows 3.1, the word took on a whole new different meaning a decade after the IT industry had started to blabber it as if it was a cuss word.

Run Run Run

As we all know, recent operating systems allow the juggling of different tasks, functions, or programs. Depending on the amount of memory and the type of processor that your computer have, large applications like CAD or multimedia programs could run side by side with other software. Nobody now asks if one could perform several things at the same time on a computer. The question has already been answered a long time ago.

Now that programs could already be ran simultaneously in a single computer, the question that was next asked is if one could still run all of them while he is actually running. As I have intimated a while back, everybody seems to be running after time and running out of it. Eight hours seem to be just eight minutes. It’s not surprising then when people started to wish that they could bring and do their tasks even when they’re out of the office.

Personal Accessory

To inaccurately borrow the words of the HP slogan, laptops made personal computers personal again. While mainframes exponentially shrunk to desktop size, it still isn’t exactly personal and portable as your watch or mobile phone. You simply can’t bring it anywhere, well at least not conveniently.

Everybody is maximizing the use of his or her time. It’s not surprising then if people treat travel time as an extension of their office hours. Laptops are not just becoming more affordable, but more importantly, they are also making time an affordable commodity. Don’t be surprised, then, if laptop sales exceed desktop purchases this year.

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I know this prediction is quite bold, but I think the continuous development of the laptop will eventually cause the demise of the desktop.

Many are already contemplating on shelving their old desktop PC for a brand new notebook. This was quite unthinkable a few years ago. The resolution of many laptop LCDs back then was mediocre compared to their larger cousins. The portable PC also opens up and runs applications at a laggard pace.

Things have greatly changed since then. Current notebook LCDs can already put to shame some desktop monitors. Core Duo processors have also found their way in almost all notebook brands.

The only thing that’s keeping some people from retiring their desktops for a new laptop is the latter’s inflexibility when it comes to upgrading components. It’s undeniable that upgrading or changing desktop peripherals is much easier compared to doing the same on laptops. It is also more expensive.

I’m still keeping my old Pentium 4 laptop precisely due to that reason. I’m happy with the performance of my Acer notebook, but I know there will come a time when I’ll have to change some of its components to keep up with the growing number of applications that demand much from the processors.

I don’t have the money yet to buy additional or more powerful components, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be able to improve my notebooks performance until then. Most of the time, one can give his PC’s stamina and capacity a boost by simply cleaning up its registry and other system files. It’s cheaper and definitely simpler.

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