Intel's Oak Trail platform launches, Cedar Trail to follow

Intel has announced that the Intel Atom platform, codenamed Oak Trail, is now available and will ship in devices starting next month. Mass production for the platform began in November 2009, and now Intel says it has racked up over 35 innovative tablet and hybrid designs from multiple companies, including Evolve III, Fujitsu Limited, Lenovo, Motion Computing, Razer, and Viliv.

Oak Trail includes support for 1080p video decode thanks to an integrated HD decode engine, HDMI, and Adobe Flash. The platform also packs integrated graphics and the memory controller directly onto the processor die. The processor is 60 percent smaller than previous generations with a lower-power design for fanless devices as well as all-day battery life, Intel claims. Additional features include Intel Enhanced Deeper Sleep that saves more power during periods of inactivity as well as optimized Intel SpeedStep technology.


The new Intel Atom processor Z670 (Android, MeeGo, and Windows), part of Oak Trail, delivers improved video playback, fast Internet browsing, and longer battery life, without sacrificing performance. Intel Atom Z670 processors come with the Intel SM35 Express Chipset, delivering a lead-free, halogen-free design with USB 2.0 (yeah, we were hoping for USB 3.0 too) and Intel High-Definition Audio. The Intel Atom processor Z650 (MeeGo and Windows) is for embedded devices with 7-year lifecycle support.

Furthermore, the company has confirmed it will give a sneak peak of its next-generation, 32nm Intel Atom platform, codenamed Cedar Trail, at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing. The company is already touting it as a platform that "will help to enable a new wave of fanless, cool and quiet, sleek and innovative netbooks, entry-level desktops, and all-in-one designs."

Cedar Trail will feature improvements in graphics capabilities, Blu-ray 2.0 support, a dedicated media engine for full 1080p playback, and additional digital display options including HDMI output and DisplayPort. New features will include Intel Wireless Music, Intel Wireless Display, PC Synch, and Fast Boot. The enhancements made in power consumption and TDP will enable fanless designs with longer battery life. Intel is currently sampling Cedar Trail to all major OEMs and ODMs and is hoping to push mobile and desktop designs based on it in the second half of 2011.

"The new Intel Atom 'Oak Trail' platform, with 'Cedar Trail' to follow, are examples of our continued commitment to bring amazing personal and mobile experiences to netbook and tablet devices, delivering architectural enhancements for longer battery life and greater performance," Doug Davis, vice president and general manager of the Netbook and Tablet Group at Intel, said in a statement. "We are accelerating the Intel Atom product line to now move faster than Moore's law, bringing new products to market on three process technologies in the next 3 years."