Intel goes small with Atom processor brand

More big... er, small... news from Intel. A new CPU brand will be launching in the near future, called Atom, targeted at ultramobile devices like tiny PCs (think the Samsung Q1), and possibly even smaller devices like handheld web browsers. Why Atom? Because atoms are small. Get it? Intel is a company that, if nothing, is full of sophisticated humor.

Atom will be not just a microprocessor but also a full architecture that specifies extremely low power consumption. Specifically, an Atom chip will draw between 0.6 and 2.5 watts of power, whereas a Core 2 Duo laptop chip might pull 35 watts. To confuse matters further, "Centrino Atom" devices must also include integrated graphics, a wireless radio, and a form factor that Intel must approve as appropriately thin for the Atom logo.

Atom is so small that 11 of the CPUs would fit in an area the size of a penny. But aside from the low power consumption (and, be advised, substantially lower performance) of the chip, they do share much in common with the upcoming Penryn (aka Centrino 2) laptop and desktop CPUs. Notably, they'll use the same manufacturing technologies, many of which have been key to knocking power consumption down and raising performance in the next-gen chips.

No Atom-enabled products have been announced yet, but you should definitely expect some in the next few months. I doubt we'll see anything revolutionary in the short term—probably just revisions of current products like the aforementioned Samsung Q1. But if those devices cost $200 less and had a 12-hour battery life? Hmmm, Intel might have a winner on its hands here...

ADDITIONAL LINK: Intel Announces Intel Atom Brand for New Family of Low-Power Processors