Intel Santa Rosa Pushed Into 2007
DigiTimes reports that Intel's next-generation mobile platform (Santa Rosa) will be purposely delayed from its expected arrival at the end of 2006 and is now expected in March of 2007. Although the delay would seem to hint at some hardware issues, the platform supposedly is progressing as planned. The pushback for the timeline is actually an intentional move to allow notebook ODM's the opportunity to have ample time to design their new platforms and give Napa-based notebooks more opportunity in the marketplace.
Taiwan makers estimate that global notebook shipments will reach 82-85 million units in 2006, up from an estimate of 65 million units for 2005, the sources said. With the planned launch of Microsoft's Vista OS in the fourth quarter of 2006 combined with Santa Rosa in the first quarter of 2007, Taiwan notebook makers believe that global notebook shipments will exceed 100-million units in 2007.
