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Intel has dubbed the humble PC as ‘the ultimate Darwinian device’, saying it is foundational to the firm’s strategy to ‘win the connected world’.
“Beyond the scale the PC gives us, it also generates much of the IP, factory scale and cash that we apply to other areas of our business. For example, Intel RealSense was originally developed and imagined for the PC. Today it is fuelling growth in drones and robots that benefit from 3D ‘sight’,” revealed Navin Shenoy, corporate VP and GM for Intel’s client computing group.
“Another example is high-performance and low-power computing, which is fuelling growth in the Internet of Things from retail point of sale systems to your smart home – PC technology in another form.”
Shenoy added: “Today’s PCs are better than ever. If you haven’t held a new 2 in 1, played on a new gaming system or tried a new desktop All-in-One, you are missing out. Many people reading this likely own any one of the 600 million PCs over 5 years old. You would not believe how tremendously the PC has evolved since then.
“Today, there are PCs with touch screens, integrated projectors, pens, and biometric authentication. There are PCs that wirelessly dock and display, and PCs that power mind-blowing virtual reality experiences.
“Compared to 5 years ago, PCs are about half as thin and half the weight, two and a half times faster and have three times longer battery life than those older systems sitting on your desk. As a result, some PC segments like 2-in-1s, mini PCs and gaming are growing at double-digit rates. This growth is even attracting new entrants to the market. For example, industry leaders like Samsung Mobile and Huawei are for the first time offering their customers beautiful new 2-in-1 PCs.”
Shenoy divulged that the firm will be displaying some new products featuring Intel’s next gen Core processor, code-named ‘Kaby Lake’ at Computex 2016, which opened today.
“It will power new gaming and content-creator platforms. And as we gear up for Season 11 of Intel Extreme Masters, gamers will be breaking records with incredible systems as well. This week at Computex, I’ll show you some of these cool new computers in action,” said Shenoy.
Intel has also outlined five things the firm will discuss and focus on during Computex 2016:
1. Intel’s evolution is underway
Last month, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich discussed how the company is evolving from a PC company to one that powers the cloud and billions of smart, connected computing devices. At Computex, Diane Bryant, executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group, and Navin Shenoy, corporate vice president and general manager for the Client Computing Group, will jointly share the stage to describe new technologies, products and collaborations that will help accelerate this virtuous cycle of growth.
2. Visual cloud, machine learning unlock human potential
As video approaches 80 per cent of all Internet traffic, delivering visual content quickly and efficiently via the cloud is a top priority for service providers. Intel showed a 360-degree live-streamed virtual reality jazz concert delivered from the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club in New York to Computex using hardware-assisted 4K video delivery on Intel Xeon E3v5 servers.
3. Continuing to push the boundaries of PC innovation
Intel announced the Intel Core i7 processor Extreme Edition, the company’s most powerful desktop processor ever. The new Intel Core i7 processor Extreme Edition family is designed for the needs of today’s “mega-tasking” gamers and content creators. It features Intel’s first 10 core desktop processor with up to 20 threads for handling many compute-intensive workloads simultaneously, platform scalability with 40 PCIe lanes for system expansion with graphics cards and SSDs, and new levels of performance with the new Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and quad-channel memory support that sets a new bar for what a PC can do. It is also fully unlocked for performance tuning, which will be on display throughout the week as enthusiasts at Computex push it to the limit as part of the annual HWBOT Overclock World Tour.
4. ‘Things’ are getting smarter and more connected
The many ‘things’ that make up today’s PC business and IoT industry are made more valuable by their connection to the cloud, whether they are found in the home, car, business or anywhere else. Intel announced the Intel AnyWAN GRX 750 system-on-a-chip (SoC) family and the Intel XWAY WAV500 Wi-Fi chipset – Intel’s new 5th Generation 11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi family of products for home gateways. The Intel AnyWAN GRX750 SoC enables home gateways to provide richer experiences. The Intel platform enables local and cloud-based services, media creation and content sharing for tools ranging from next generation ultra-high-definition devices to ‘things’ in a person’s home.
5. 5G will transform mobility to create a smart and connected society
5G will transform our lives by helping deliver a smart and connected society with smart cities, self-driving cars and new industrial efficiencies. For this to happen, networks must become faster, smarter and more agile to handle the unprecedented increase in volume and complexity of data traffic as more devices become connected and new digital services are offered.
Intel is helping drive this transformation of the network to modernize today’s communications infrastructure and build the foundation for 5G. During Computex, Intel announced an agreement with Foxconn to collaborate on the development of network infrastructure technologies to accelerate this transition.
