Advancements in computing
With 2009 behind us, it's time to look forward to what 2010 has in store. There's never a better time for conjecture than New Year's Day, so here - in no particular order - is a quick run down of ten tech products we're expecting to hit big in 2010.
Intel Gulftown
After an uncertain 2009, Intel looks set to come out firing in 2010 - and in the high-end space, its ammunition will consist of a hexa-core chip targeting the enthusiast crowd.
Dubbed the Core i7 980X, the chip is expected to make its debut in March 2010. With a rumoured clock speed of 3.06GHz, 12MB of L3 cache, Hyper-Threading and support for Intel Turbo Boost, it's a range-topping part that should raise the desktop performance bar to new heights.
Based on a 32nm Westmere process, the chip will arrive in an LGA1366 package, making it compatible with many existing X58 motherboards.
It's odds-on to become the desktop performance king, but it won't be the only six-core part on offer, as AMD will be firing its retort in the form of a six-core chip codenamed Thuban.
The faint-hearted need not apply, though, as we'd expect Intel's Core i7 980X to fetch around $999 at retail. Then again, what's a thousand dollars to the enthusiast wanting the very best?
Intel Arrandale
Keeping with the semiconductor giant's assault on the market, another key advancement in 2010 is likely to be the introduction of mainstream Westmere-derived 32nm mobile parts codenamed Arrandale.
Arriving under the Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 brands, the Arrandale processors will finally bring the goodness of the Nehalem architecture to mainstream notebooks, along with integrated 45nm graphics. If the performance of Intel's desktop equivalent - codenamed Clarkdale - is anything to go by, Arrandale is set to be a treat for notebook buyers in 2010.
Industry rumours have recently suggested that Arrandale could make its debut in a MacBook Pro, but expect to see a wave of product announcements in the coming weeks. More concerned about battery life? Stay tuned for ultra-low-voltage (ULV) variants of Arrandale parts that should offer decent on-the-go longevity.
NVIDIA Fermi
NVIDIA's next-generation graphics-card architecture was a hot topic in 2009, but we've yet to get it in our labs, and we're still no closer to knowing exactly how it'll perform.
With AMD already offering a wave of DirectX 11 graphics cards, NVIDIA will be keen to join the party, but could be forced to wait up until April if recent rumours of delays are to be believed.
One thing's for certain, NVIDIA's recent rebranding exercises aren't winning over the enthusiast crowd, and it'll need a smash hit from Fermi to restore its hold on the high-end GPU market.
SSDs
The cost for Flash material continues to decline, and capacities continue to rise. We've said it before, but we'll say it again, solid-state drives are on the verge of becoming mainstream.
As the technological successor to traditional hard drives, SSDs are beginning to appear in all manner of devices, and in 2010 we expect advancements in manufacturing processes to pave the way for capacities beyond 1TB.
Apple tablet
It's the rumour that just won't go away. Is Apple working on a tablet or not? Industry insiders appear to say yes, but there's still no confirmation from Apple itself.
Numerous PC manufacturers are expected to launch tablet computers at this month's CES - based, perhaps, upon Intel's second-generation Atom architecture. With most systems unable to handle HD media, and the vagaries of build quality coming into play, we wouldn't be surprised to see Apple steal the limelight with a "Maclet" early in 2010. Going by events in recent history, this wouldn't be the first time Apple has overshadowed CES with a product launch of its own.
Conjecturing somewhat, Apple's recent alliance with NVIDIA could suggest a tablet-like product based upon the GPU giant's second-generation Tegra architecture. It's merely a rumour at this stage, but as far as rumours are concerned, it's one of the most promising.
