Nvidia claims belated impact on MID space
Published: 9 June, 2009
The showdown in the mobile internet device space, between Intel and ARM-based vendors like Qualcomm, has left graphics specialist Nvidia in the shadows, but the company is plowing ahead with its bid to go mainstream and take on Intel Atom in the markets for netbooks, smartbooks and MIDs.
Nvidia says there are now 20 mobile internet devices in production based on its Tegra processor, on which much of its high risk growth strategy is based - a dozen new devices were announced at last week's Computex show in Taiwan.
As the company promises Tegra II next year, most of its support in the MID space is coming from the all-important Taiwanese ODM community, which is also being heavily courted by Qualcomm Snapdragon, Intel and others, alongside the major PC and smartphones OEMs. Support from the contract manufacturers may well indicate interest from the big names in Tegra-based devices for 2010.
The new products included netbooks - the Compal CN88, Inventec Applications Rainbow, Mobinnova ViewBook 910, Pegatron Vivid and Wistron M5 - and tablets or MIDs (ICD Ultra, Mobinnova Mabo). All these will be available for badging and tweaking by the vendors.
While the PC giants are staying quiet about any Tegra intentions so far, Nvidia believes it can ride the wave of operator interest in wireless enabled netbooks. It managed to get public support from América Móvil, the world's third largest cellco with networks all across Latin America. "Devices based on Nvidia Tegra will allow us to offer a mobile internet device that delivers an amazing level of functionality at minimal cost or even free through subsidies. The combination of a Tegra-based MID and our high speed national coverage will allow millions of people to access the internet and have an unprecedented experience," Antonio Domit, executive technology advisor to the operator, told Xbit Labs.
The Tegra 600-series system-on-chip is based on an ARM11 processor, with the GeForce graphics core, low power DDR memory controller, NAND flash memory controller, and HD video processor. It was unveiled a year ago and has been slow to make a noticeable impact on the MID market, but undeterred, the vendor says it will move on into smartphones with Tegra II next year.
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