"Intel is planning on an all-out assault on the lucrative consumer electronics market with a new processor technology that it claims will turn the PC into a multimedia hub.
The new devices will be DVD recorders, CD players and PVRs, as well as a normal PC. However, the plans have left analysts scratching their heads as Intel's announcement seems to offer nothing new.
We already have media center PCs in the marketplace, offering an 'all-in-one' solution for digital entertainment needs and Intel is already a big player in this area. Their 'Digital Joy' partnership with Microsoft is currently taking media center PCs on the road in an attempt to woo consumers away from standalone devices, such as DVD recorders.
It is believed that Intel's new chip is based on their dual-core technology that would allow a greater number of simultaneous calculations. However, the news of a multimedia application for this chip would seem to be a hasty response to Sony, Toshiba and IBM's recent announcement about their new Cell processor that will power the forthcoming Playstation 3."
For now, traditional consumer electronics manufacturers probably won't be quaking in their boots.
Sunday 13th at 16:30 
Sunday 13th at 16:30 
