英特爾欲以酷睿2抗衡高級微設備

英特爾公司(Intel Corp.)備受矚目的高端處理器終於閃亮登場﹐標志著英特爾反擊高級微設備公司(Advanced Micro Devices Inc., AMD)的戰役進入了新階段。預計未來幾個月電腦銷售額也將因此獲得提振。

雙語閱讀

• Intel Overhauls Its PC Chip Line, Pressuring AMD英特爾正式推出酷睿2雙核處理器家族的10款晶片﹐並表示酷睿2將取代奔騰(Pentium)成為英特爾電腦晶片的高端品牌。與以往處理器相比﹐新產品性能得到大幅提升﹐但能耗卻顯著降低。

英特爾首席執行長保羅•歐德寧(Paul Otellini)在公司大會上表示﹐酷睿2是我們有史以來開發的最好的微處理器。

英特爾此時正急需炫耀的資本。該公司第二季度利潤下滑了57%﹐並且一直在絞盡腦汁地扭轉人們對英特爾技術可能落後於高級微設備的印象。

酷睿2雙核處理器與用於伺服器系統的一些新晶片一樣﹐均採用節能設計。在行業出版物的測試中﹐該晶片在多數性能上超過了高級微設備的同類產品。摩根士丹利(Morgan Stanley)分析師馬克•埃德爾斯通(Mark Edelstone)稱﹐隨著新處理器的發佈﹐英特爾“已經解決了大部分問題﹐”

但多數消費者要想體驗新技術仍需耐心等待。目前只有一款名為Core 2 Extreme的用於遊戲電腦的晶片有售﹐售價999美元。其他用於個人電腦的晶片定於8月末面市﹐售價為183美元至530美元不等。英特爾未披露酷睿2移動版的定價情況﹐英特爾將於9月份開始向筆記本電腦廠商發貨。

儘管英特爾酷睿2雙核處理器的推出可能會錯過學生返校季節﹐但仍有助於推動聖誕假日的電腦需求﹐並將抵消微軟(Microsoft Corp.) Windows Vista操作系統推遲發佈所產生的不利影響。該軟件將於2007年上半年推出。英特爾執行副總裁馬宏升(Sean Maloney)表示﹐公司將加大廣告力度推廣這項新技術。

英特爾在推出酷睿2之前廣泛降價的舉動可能正在對需求產生影響。高級微設備也被迫作出反應﹐幫助推低了電腦價格﹐刺激了需求。Silicon Valley的市場研究員羅布•安德爾(Rob Enderle)說﹐這兩個因素或許有助於緩解能源價格高企等對電腦需求構成壓力的負面因素。

而在英特爾佔主導、而高級微設備也不甘示弱的筆記本電腦市場﹐降價的影響也日益顯露。研究公司Current Analysis的分析師薩米爾•巴夫南尼(Samir Bhavnani)稱﹐根據該公司在截至7月1日的3個月對部分美國消費者的調查﹐英特爾在筆記本電腦市場可能奪回了12個百分點的份額。基於英特爾系統的筆記本電腦平均售價下降了13%﹐基於高級微設備系統的筆記本電腦只降價7%左右。

歐德寧在接受採訪時稱﹐將奔騰作為中價品牌的新的品牌結構將對英特爾在發展中國家的銷售產生重大影響。“從處理器角度講﹐奔騰是全球認知度最高的品牌﹐”他說﹐“我認為在這個價位它將比任何品牌都有優勢。”

高級微設備則將會通過一款名為“4x4”的新晶片繼續在高端電腦領域挑戰英特爾﹐該晶片實際上是將兩個雙內核處理器捆綁在一起使用。高級微設備本週宣佈將斥資54億美元收購ATI Technologies Inc。

Intel Overhauls Its PC Chip Line, Pressuring AMD

Intel Corp. announced a long-awaited overhaul of its highest-volume chip lines, a new phase of a counterattack against rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. that could spur computer sales in the next several months.

The Santa Clara, Calif., company introduced 10 chip models in a product family called Core 2 Duo, which replaces Pentium as Intel's high-end brand for chips that serve as calculating engines for desktop and laptop computers. Intel's new chips provide a substantial performance boost, while consuming less power than earlier models.

Paul Otellini, Intel's chief executive, called the Core 2 design 'the best microprocessor we've ever built' at a company gathering in Santa Clara.

Intel badly needs some bragging rights. The company, coming off a quarter in which profit fell 57%, is trying to counter the perception that it has fallen behind AMD's technology.

The new Core 2 chips, based on a power-efficient design that is shared with some new chips for server systems, have been beating AMD's systems in most performance tests run by industry trade publications. With this announcement, Intel 'has solved most of their problems,' said Mark Edelstone, an analyst at Morgan Stanley.

Most customers will have to wait to see the benefits of the new technology, though. Only a $999 model for gaming PCs, called the Core 2 Extreme, is available now. Personal computers that use other members of the desktop chip family -- which are priced at $183 to $530 each -- aren't expected to be available until late August. Intel didn't disclose pricing yet on mobile versions of the Core 2 Duo line, which Intel will begin to ship to notebook makers in September.

Intel's Core 2 technology, though it may miss the back-to-school season, could help drive demand during the pre-Christmas period and counter delays in the introduction of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista operating system. That software now isn't expected until the first half of 2007. Sean Maloney, an Intel executive vice president, said the company is planning a major increase in advertising to help promote the new technology.

But the broad price cuts that Intel launched ahead of the new Core 2 products are having an effect. AMD has been forced to respond, helping to drive down computer prices and stimulating demand. Those two factors are helping to counter some negative factors weighing on PC demand, including high energy prices, said Rob Enderle, a Silicon Valley market researcher.

The impact of the price-cutting is being felt in the market for notebook computers, a longtime Intel stronghold where AMD has been gaining market share lately. Samir Bhavnani, an analyst at research firm Current Analysis, estimated that Intel's chips regained 12 percentage points of market share in laptop computers among the U.S. retailers it tracked during the three months ended July 1. The average selling price of the Intel-based systems declined 13%, the firm said, while AMD-based systems fell 7%.

Mr. Otellini, in an interview, said the new branding structure, with Pentium a midprice brand, will have a big impact on increasing Intel's sales in developing countries. 'Pentium is the world's best-known brand in terms of microprocessors,' he said. 'I think it just trumps everyone there at this price point.'

AMD, which announced a $5.4 billion deal this week to buy ATI Technologies Inc., plans to keep the pressure on Intel in high-end PCs with a chip design called '4x4,' which bundles together two chips that each has two processing units.

Don Clark