Intel Offers an In-Depth Look at New Pentium III
Intel Corp. on Wednesday showed off more than 200 applications for its new Pentium III computer chip, including a three-dimensional version of popular Internet search engine Excite, as it seeks to build momentum in a $300-million marketing campaign.
Intel Chief Executive Craig Barrett and the software and hardware companies that have developed or refined products to capitalize on the chips stressed their improved ability to stream audio and video over the Net and to let users explore sites in what appears to be three dimensions.
“There will be a brand-new user experience,” Barrett said.
Intel officials hinted that the pricing of the chips will be similar to current levels for slower 350- and 400-megahertz Pentium II chips, or roughly $500 and up, depending on the speed.
In computers from Dell Computer Corp., Compaq Computer Corp. and others, “there will be substantial price points below $2,000,” said Intel Executive Vice President Paul Otellini.
This month, Intel will ship Pentium IIIs designed to run at 450 or 500 MHz. In the second quarter, it will ship 550-MHz versions.
While many of the demonstrations on view at the San Jose Convention Center used garden-variety 56K modem speeds, the kind available over most home telephone lines, the technology is also geared toward the broad-band access that Intel says will allow downloading of broadcast-quality movies.
The revised Excite, called Excite Extreme, was developed during the last five months in secret and will be available on an Intel Web site designed to offer one-stop downloading of accessories that take advantage of the Pentium III.
The search allows surfers to zoom in or glide over kiosks, which are surrounded by destination options. The closer the mouse points, the more the user sees.
“Searching is still vitally important. It’s also not very good,” Excite CEO George Bell said. “This has the promise of removing a lot of frustration: You can spatially look at search results without having to go to the site, without committing to click.”
Warner Bros. Online is among dozens of online retailers that are incorporating Intel’s 3-D technology to grab and hold shoppers. It demonstrated an addition to its cyber store that allows consumers to turn around a stuffed toy by pointing, dragging and clicking with a traditional mouse.
The Pentium III chips have 70 new multimedia instructions and revised architecture. Some developers said it had taken them as little as a few weeks to upgrade their software designs.
“It’s not going to be a major ordeal for anybody,” said software engineer John Rotolo of Electronic Arts. He predicted that most game companies would switch quickly to Pentium III chips.
The attraction for game makers is a problem for Advanced Micro Devices, which has been selling 3-D technology chips for nine months.
“There’s room for both of us,” said AMD spokesman Drew Prairie. The 3-D-enabled chips “are in all of our processors, from the $500 range up to $1,400. The Intel stuff is pretty much playing to the high end.”
Barrett on Wednesday didn’t back off Intel’s plan to produce permanent serial numbers on all the chips, a move that has been attacked by privacy advocates. The company said it will offer consumers a free program that will disable the identifier temporarily each time the computer is turned on.
“It sounds to me like it’s all about inconvenience,” said Marc Rotenberg, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “It’s like setting the timer on your VCR every time you put in a tape.”
Intel said many companies want the identifier for tracking inventory and for keeping Internet transactions more secure. Eventually, some Web service providers may demand that the identifier be turned on before permitting access.
Shares of Intel closed at $124.63, down $1.75; AMD shares closed at $17, down 6 cents. Excite was up $4, closing at $94.06. All trade on Nasdaq.
