With ARM gaining a foothold in the micro-server market, with multi-core processors, Intel is stepping up its response. A key component of Intel's next-generation "Edisonville" micro-server platform, Atom "Avoton" will be designed with a formidable feature-set over what the current-generation Atom "Centerton" offers, according to a MyDrivers report based on a leaked company slide.

Atom "Avoton" will be built on Intel's 22 nm silicon fabrication process, with anywhere between 2 to 8 cores, backed by 1 MB to 4 MB L2 cache. The cores will be designed to support out-of-order processing, correcting a longstanding limitation of Atom processors. The cores will likely be designed with a balanced instruction set to maximize performance per Watt. Processors in the Atom "Avoton" series will be clocked around 2.40 GHz, and will support Turbo Boost technology, which drives core clock speed up to 2.70 GHz. Another big feature change is an expanded IMC, which will support dual-channel DDR3-1600 / DDR3-1600L memory. Enterprise features such as ECC memory and Intel VT, will be included. The chips will likely be built in FCBGA packages. TDP for these chips will be under 20W.

Samsung is working on a fleet of devices that take advantage of Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system. These include touch-capable Ultrabooks, tablet hybrids, and all-in-one desktops. Samsung's Windows 8 Ultrabook lineup begins with Series 5 Ultra Touch. Starting at $809.99, these 13-inch Ultrabooks are powered by Core i3 "Ivy Bridge" dual-core processors (upgradable to Core i5 for $50 extra), 4 GB of RAM, 1366 x 768 pixels touchscreen display, and 500 GB HDD accelerated with 24 GB cache-SSD. It tips the scales at 1.73 kg. Samsung's second Ultrabook in the new lineup is the premium Series 9 Ultra Touch, starting at $1,300 for 13-inch and $1,400 for 15-inch.

Moving on, Samsung has two lines of Windows 8-loaded notebooks, starting with Series 3, which is available in a variety of hardware and screen size options, priced in the range of $450 to $900; and Series 7 15-inch notebook, which starts at $1,100. Samsung's new all-in-one lineup begins with Ativ SmartPC 500T and 700T, powered by Intel Atom Z2760 and Core i5, respectively, with memory ranging between 2 GB to 4 GB, featuring 64 GB to 128 GB SSD storage. The 500T starts at $649.99, while the 700T starts at 1,199.99. Samsung's mid-range all-in-one offering is the Series 5, which starts at $800, featuring a 21.5-inch HD screen. Its premium all-in-one PC offering is the Series 7, which starts at $1,100 for 23.6-inch and $1,700 for 27-inch variants. These devices will be launched closer to that of Windows 8, slated for October 26.

IPC, digital signage, and panel PC maker Quanmax announced the QBOX Mini-1000 series of pocketable based on Intel x86 platform. Measuring just 130.11 x 83.06 x 19.2 mm (DxWxH), weighing 174 g, or roughly the size and weight of a portable hard drive, the QBOX Mini-10x0 is driven by an Intel Atom E640T embedded processor clocked at 1.00 GHz, with 512 KB cache, and 3.5W TDP; up to 1 GB of DDR2 memory; featuring D-Sub (QBOX Mini-1000) or HDMI (QBOX Mini-1010) display outputs, up to three USB 2.0 ports, stereo audio with line-in/mic, and mPCIe and mSATA slots for expansion. This pocket-sized PC is sufficiently powered to serve as a nettop.

MSI announced the AE1921 series entry-level all-in-one (AIO) PCs. Available in pearl-white and piano-black color options, the AE1921 derives its model name from its 19-inch (18.5-inch, to be precise) screen, which packs 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, matte surface, 5 ms response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio, and 250 cd/m² brightness. Under the hood is an Intel Atom D525 dual-core processor clocked at 1.80 GHz, featuring 1 MB cache, HyperThreading, and x86-64 instruction set. The system features two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots, which is loaded with a 2 GB module.

Storage features of the AE1921 include a 320 GB 5400 RPM HDD, a DVD SuperMulti drive, and a 4-in-1 memory card reader. Connectivity includes 802.11 b/g/n WLAN, gigabit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, 8-channel HD audio with built-in 6W stereo speakers, and a 1.3 MP web-camera. Measuring 476 x 365 x 49 mm (WxDxH), the AE1921 weighs about 7.7 kg. USB mouse and keyboard come included. Prices vary by region.

Small businesses are grappling with how to manage the dramatic growth of critical files, email and media. Meanwhile consumers are creating and purchasing vast amounts of digital content, including music, movies, photos, e-books and videos. To help them have greater control over of their data, Intel Corporation today announced its next-generation Intel Atom processor-based storage solution.

Recognizing the ongoing, real-time growth of storage demands, this solution, powered by the Intel Atom processor D2550 or the Intel Atom processor D2500, combines impressive multimedia capabilities, energy efficiency and excellent performance to deliver the personal cloud to businesses and consumers.

ADLINK Technology, Inc., a leading global provider of trusted I/O platforms, announces the release of its new Matrix MXE-1300 series of low-power fanless computers based on the Intel Atom D2550 processor. Equipped with the Intel Atom D2550 processor, the MXE-1300 increases processing power by 44% and graphics performance by 90% over the previous Intel Atom platform.

Featuring low power consumption, rich I/O capability, and large storage with 3.5" HDD support, the MXE-1300 series not only leads the market with its fanless, cable-free, and robust mechanical design in a compact form factor, but also makes an ideal application-oriented platform for digital surveillance, intelligent transportation, and factory automation applications.

Intel Corporation and its OEM partners today unveiled the first wave of new tablets and tablet convertible designs based on Intel Core vPro, Intel Core and Intel Atom processors, including the new Atom processor Z2760 (formerly codenamed "Clover Trail").

The new Intel Atom processor-based devices provide consumers and business users with a wide choice of innovative, sleek and stylish designs with long battery life and class-leading performance. Additionally, they will be able to experience Windows 8 while continuing to run all the programs they know and love.

At IDF 2012, Intel showed off an experimental SoC codenamed "Rosepoint," targeted at low power mobile consumer devices. Built on the 32 nm process, the tiny chip combines a full-featured dual-core Atom processor with a WiFi transceiver. This could eliminate the need for external transceivers on Atom-powered devices, reducing the platform's board footprint, and of course, power draw.

The current chip comes with its share of limitations. It supports just 2.4 GHz radio band. According to Intel's Justin Rattner, the chip should scale with Moore's Law, and future versions could have greater capabilities, including cellular data, and built-in antennae. Production versions of the chip aren't due for another two years, so it's safe to assume that Rosepoint is just a development milestone.

Intel Corporation's chief product officer today described how its low-power processors, starting with the company's 4th generation Intel Core processor family available next year, will set a new standard for mobile computing experiences and innovative Ultrabook, convertible and tablet designs.

Speaking at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, David (Dadi) Perlmutter said Intel reduced the platform idle power of its 4th generation Intel Core processor family based on the next-generation "Haswell" microarchitecture by more than 20 times over the 2nd generation while delivering outstanding performance and responsiveness. He also said Intel will add a new line of even lower-power processors based on the same microarchitecture to its roadmap starting in 2013.

Gigabyte Technology is currently preparing the release of a new barebone, one named GB-TCD which targets enterprise customers and is based around Intel's Cedar Trail platform. The GB-TCD measures 245 (D) x 180 (W) x 40 (H) mm, it packs a 1.8 GHz Atom D2550 processor and features support for up to 4 GB of DDR3 memory, one SATA 3.0 Gbps port (one 2.5-inch drive can be installed), mSATA and Mini-PCIe slots, Gigabit Ethernet, a 4-in-1 card reader, plus D-Sub and HDMI outputs.

No word on pricing yet.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today officially launched its latest business-class TS-x69L series Turbo NAS. The new TS-x69L series, available in 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8-drive versions, is powered by a high performance dual-core Intel Atom processor, equipped with 1GB DDR3 RAM, which can be upgraded to 3GB optionally. With support for SATA 2.5", 3.5" HDD and SSD up to 4TB, and with dual USB 3.0 ports for high-speed backup, the TS-x69L NAS series is compatible with Microsoft Windows OS, Linux/UNIX, and the latest Mac OS X Mountain Lion, and provides the levels of performance and high-capacity storage required by SMB users.

The TS-x69L series is equipped with 512MB DOM (Disk on Module) with dual firmware image design for system downtime prevention. In the event of corrupted firmware caused by accidental power loss during system boot, the NAS will boot with the backup firmware and then automatically recover the failed one for continuous system uptime.

Giada, a brand of Jehe Technology Inc., (JEHE) is pleased to announce the i35G mini PC series. The i35G series is built on the powerful Intel Atom D2500 series processor, and with the NVIDIA GT610 GPU this mini PC can offer impressive system performance in consumer and digital signage applications.

Supporting 1080p Full High Definition graphics, the i35G series has up to 2GB of DDR3 memory with 512MB of VRAM on board. The i35G keeps power consumption to a minimum at 35W, while still having the flexibility to provide high performance solutions for digital signage for advertising, hospitality, brand promotion and digital menu boards as well as for consumers looking for a compact work station that also allows for light gaming.

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and channel manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today delivers a new ZBOX with NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M graphics processing. The new ZOTAC ZBOX with NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M graphics incorporates class-leading features and stunning visuals to form a perfect home theater PC.

"We're pleased to inject the power of NVIDIA GeForce graphics to our award-winning ZOTAC ZBOX for users that demand energy-efficiency with a graphics kick," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "The new ZOTAC ZBOX with NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M graphics delivers phenomenal high-definition video playback capabilities to make it the perfect home theater PC as well."

QNAP Systems, Inc. today officially expanded its latest business-ready Turbo NAS family, the TS-x69U-RP series, with 2 new rackmount units that really mean business. The expansion includes 4 and 8-drive models, delivering up to 32TB (using 4TB drives) of high-performance networked storage, redundant power supplies for enhanced reliability, and a wealth of business-ready applications for cross-platform file sharing, network-wide backup, server virtualization storage, and much more.

At the heart of the new models is a Dual-core Intel Atom 2.13 GHz CPU, equipped with 1 GB DDR3 RAM on TS-469U-RP, 2GB DDR3 RAM on TS-869U-RP, and support for SATA 6 Gb/s 2.5" and 3.5" hot-swappable drives to provide the performance demanded by today's SMBs; critical for keeping businesses running at their highest productivity levels.

Themis Computer today announced the NanoPAK Small Form Factor Computer with AMD Fusion processors. Designed with a new generation of high performance, low-power processors to survive in demanding environments, the NanoPAK is a compact, mobile standalone rugged computer targeted for a myriad of extreme commercial and military applications that include stand alone and embedded computers, real time control, man wearable systems, smart displays, mobile computing, and robotics.

The NanoPAK system is now available with either the AMD Fusion processor or the Intel Atom processor and FLASH storage in a small, light footprint that optimizes size, weight, and power. Leveraging Themis thermal and kinetic management expertise, the hardened aluminum NanoPAK enclosure withstands the toughest environmental conditions.

Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH, the European subsidiary of Shuttle Inc., one of the leading developers and manufacturers of compact PC solutions such as the world-renowned XPC Mini-PC Barebones, today announces the launch of the third generation of its award-winning and completely fanless XS35 model from their slim PC series.

"Even our dealers keep telling us how impressed they are with the quietness of this model," says Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR at Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH. "It's very rare that the elimination of a particular component has been greeted with such positive comments. However, we've certainly achieved this by doing away with the use of fans."

MSI launch MS-9893 with the latest Intel Atom Platform. This is the multi-display outputs of mini-ITX form factor board with the latest 32nm process technology for the highest HD graphics quality, and offers lower power consumption and enhanced graphic and media performance.

MSI MS-9893 supports multi-display outputs, including single Channel 18/24 bit LVDS, VGA, one HDMI. It has great graphics performance and support for up to 1080P high definition video.MSI MS-9893 is equipped with single-channel DDR3 1066 MHz memory up to a maximum of 4 GB in 1 x 204 SO-DIMM slots. MS-9893 supports D2550(10W) / N2800(6.5W) two SKU, with VGA, HDMI, Video Output: LVDS/ Single CH 24bit by D2550 (LVDS/ Single CH 18bit by N2800). Power Input support, one ATX for D2550, and another is DC-in 12V for D2550 / N2800. I/O, and expansion connectivity, including 6* COM-ports(2 x Real, 4 x Internal), 6* USB2.0(4 x Real, 2 x Internal), and 8*GPIO(4 x GPI, 4 x GPO), one PCI slot and one Mini-PCIe slot could support the m-SATA/wireless function.

Today during the Structure Conference in San Francisco, Jason Waxman, GM of the Cloud Infrastructure Group outlined Intel's vision and roadmap for microservers and discussed how they best suited to handle emerging "scale-out" applications. Waxman provided an update on Intel's roadmap for microservers including new generations of Intel Xeon processors and Intel Atom architecture based 22nm SoC chips codenamed "Avoton", both scheduled for 2013. In his blog Jason also talks about why within the new segment of servers it is the application that will decide which core - Intel Atom or Xeon - will be the optimal solution. Waxman's presentation can be found here.

Russian Communication Technology LTD. launched DETSEL-01, one of the smallest Intel x86-powered mini-PCs ever. Measuring just 125 x 74 x 12 mm (roughly the size of a Seagate GoFlex 2.5-inch portable HDD), the DETSEL-01 is driven by an Intel Atom E680 processor (1.60 GHz, single-core with HTT, 4.5W TDP), with 1 GB of DDR2-800 memory, with 128 GB or 64 GB SATA 3 Gb/s SSD handling storage, and an external 12V DC input powering it. Connectivity is aplenty, with 802.11 b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0, D-Sub display output (HDMI coming soon), stereo HD audio, and two USB 2.0 ports. The best part about this pocket-sized PC is its ability to run 32-bit Windows XP and Windows 7.

Building on the legacy of its most successful rack storage solution, LaCie introduces the 4big Rack Office. With full data protection, superior data sharing, and industry-trusted components, the 4big Rack Office is a solid investment for small businesses.

The 4big Rack Office is powered by Windows Home Server 2011. With a straightforward setup process and familiar Windows environment, the 4big Rack Office deploys quickly for small businesses.

The LaCie 4big Rack Office is an excellent solution to keep files and data automatically backed up, organized and accessible," said Nick Parker, VP WW OEM Marketing, Microsoft. "Combining the reliability and ease of use in the Windows platform with LaCie's engineering expertise provides a simple and secure way for small business customers to get cloud connected."

Intel Corporation Senior Vice President Tom Kilroy officially introduced the next wave of Ultrabook systems during a keynote address at Computex Taipei 2012. Making a bold statement around the importance of touch technology, Kilroy also announced that Intel has signed agreements with several leading touch panel manufacturers to ensure adequate capacity to meet the expected demand for touch-enabled Ultrabook experiences over the next several years.

He also highlighted the company's efforts to deliver user-centric experiences across a range of mobile devices from the Ultrabook to smartphones and tablets, pointing to momentum across all three.

Earlier this month, J&W unveiled the M001, a fanless industrial PC (IPC). The company is poised to unveil its affordable variant targeting the consumer nettop market, at Computex. It will be launched in two affordable models, starting at US $149, the M001-AP1I42110 and M001-AP6I62C10. The former is driven by Intel Atom D2550 processor, 2 GB DDR3 memory, and packs a 320 GB HDD; while the latter is driven by Atom D2800 processor, 2 GB memory, and a 32 GB SSD. Most modern nettop features, including WiFi b/g/n, multi-format card-reader, gigabit Ethernet, and 1080p-capable graphics, will be included.

As revealed by a leaked slide, Dell's Windows 8 plans include the launch of a 10-inch tablet running Microsoft's upcoming operating system. Interestingly-enough, although Windows 8 will be ARM-friendly the tablet Dell has in the works, named Latitude 10, is going to be powered by an x86 processor, more specifically, a dual-core Intel Atom (Clover Trail).

The Latitude 10 will feature a 10.1-inch (1366 x 768) capacitive touchscreen, integrated graphics, 2 GB of LPDDR2 memory, up to a 128 GB SSD, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2MP front camera, stereo speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth and optional broadband, and a removable 2-cell or 4-cell battery enabling up to 8/12 hours of operation.

The tablet is rumored to become available around October/November.

J&W introduced a new fanless nettop and IPC, the M001. Driven by Intel "Cedar Trail" Atom D2550 or N2800 or N2600 processors, the M001 packs a nano-ITX system board. It has one vacant DDR3 SO-DIMM slot, supporting up to 4 GB of memory. For storage, there is one 2.5-inch SATA 3 Gb/s drive bay. Connectivity include 802.11 b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports, SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro/MMC card reader, HDMI and VGA display outputs, and RS232 serial (COM). The ridged metal body doubles up as a heatsink. Minus the antenna and stand, the system measures just 135 x 128 x 45 mm. Pricing and availability information is awaited.

Foxconn's Channel brand introduced a new line of fanless compact PCs under the Nano PC brand. The two newly launched models include the AT-5300, which is driven by Intel Atom D2700, and the AT-5600, which is driven by by AMD E-450 "Brazos" APU. The two are barebones, and require at least one DDR3 SO-DIMM module (up to 4 GB) and a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD. Both models measure just 190 x 135 x 38 mm, and weigh about 600 g. Connectivity includes two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, an SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro/MMC card reader, 802.11 b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, and display outputs that include D-Sub and HDMI. Available soon, the two Nano PC models will be priced under US $200.