One chipmaker rules the mobile device arena; the other dominates personal computers. Both have ambitious goals for expansion, and that means butting heads is inevitable
By Seth Weintraub and JP Mangalindan
As Intel's power-hungry chips grow more efficient and ARM CPU designs make strides in performance, the two chipmakers find themselves facing off for market share in a familial safe ground that's become a veritable hot zone brimming with untapped potential and consumer dollars.
We're talking, of course, about the living room.
Until recently, Intel (INTC) and ARM have largely stayed out of each other's way, with each one dominating a different part of the computing world. Intel's rule over the personal computer industry is as storied as it is solid -- variants of the chip titan's CPUs can be found in an overwhelming majority of traditional PCs. Last quarter, it was estimated the company's market share inched up to nearly 72%, while its closest competitor, AMD (AMD), saw its market share slide slightly to 28%. And Macintosh and Linux desktops are almost entirely Intel-based as well.
According to Linpack for Android benchmark results, Android 2.2 (codename 'Froyo') is 450% faster than its predecessor.
Until now, the biggest update to Google's Android OS 2.2, expected later this month, was Flash support. But Android enthusiast blog, Android Police, got a hold of a copy of Android 2.2 and ran some benchmark tests on it.
They found that the new OS alone flew through the Linpack for Android benchmark a full MORE
Seth Weintraub - May 12, 2010 4:57 PM ET
In the latest installment of Connected, Fortune Senior Editor-at-Large Adam Lashinsky talks with Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jen-Hsun Huang about his company's strategy for tablets and smartphones, and its ongoing legal battle with Intel (INTC).
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Mason Cohn, Producer - Mar 8, 2010 12:29 PM ET
Hours before rival Intel turned in stellar quarterly results, I had breakfast this morning with John Taylor, a marketing guy at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), to talk about its prospects for 2010 and beyond. The underdog chipmaker has a good chance to mount a comeback after some damaging missteps over the past couple of years, and I wanted to know whether there's a plan to take on Intel.
Jon Fortt - Jan 14, 2010 4:56 PM ET