Johnstown, Misty Lake launched by Intel

Intel launched two of its desktop motherboards the D945GSEJT (also codenamed
Johnstown) and DG41MJ (codenamed Misty Lake) at it Intel Solutions Summit at
Gold Coast, Australia. 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-Client Desktop Group, Intel 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 (SIs) can develop innovative chassis that have a lesser footprint
and can be fit behind the screen. With this product, Intel claimed that it is
diversifying 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 six lakh small form factor (SSF)
desktops are forecasted to post a 33 percent CAGR growth from 2008 to 2012 and
the $400 desktop is predicted to grow at 20 percent 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.

The author was hosted in Australia by Intel