Advanced Micro Devices to Release Laptop Chip

Advanced Micro Devices Inc., the No.2 maker of microprocessors that are the brains of personal computers, plans to release today its highest-performing chip for laptop computers as the company seeks to gain share in that market.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company’s Athlon 4 1500+ processor runs at 1.3 gigahertz, meaning that the tiny transistors that comprise a semiconductor can cycle on and off 1.3 billion times a second.

AMD had set a goal last year of ending 2001 with a 50% share of the U.S. retail laptop market, but a spokeswoman said it did not reach that goal, citing depressed market conditions.