Intel And AMD Intro New ChipsIntel And AMD Intro New Chips

The battle for mobile PC processor supremacy continued this week as rivals Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Intel introduced chips expected to keep notebooks running faster, cooler, and longer.

Intel's 32-bit Celeron M is available in standard-voltage versions that run at speeds up to 1.3 GHz, and in an ultra-low-voltage version running at 800 MHz. Chip prices range from $161 for the 800 MHz version to $107 for a 1.2 GHz version, when at least 1,000 chips are purchased.

AMD introduced four new versions of its Athlon 64-bit mobile PC processors, which range in price from $417 for the high-end 3400+ to $193 for the 2800+, each in quantities of at least 1,000.

Both companies anticipate an uptick in PC spending this year, particularly on notebooks. "People, by definition, are mobile," says Anand Chandrasekher, VP and co-general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group. "Technology adapts to how people work and live."

The Celeron M processor is Intel's low-cost alternative to the Pentium M, which debuted last March at a starting price of $292 per 1.3 GHz processor for an order of at least 1,000 units. Chandrasekher says that the Celeron brand appeals to Intel customers looking for "value" products, which make up about 30% of the company's customer base. The majority, however, are willing to pay a premium for products such as Pentium M, he says.