Acer repositioning for the post Wintel era starting with AMD Fusion APUs

Follow-Up (Aug 2, 2011):
– Acer & Asus: Compensating lower PC sales by tablet PC push [March 29, 2011 with comprehensive update on Aug 2, 2011] which is showing serious technical and market problems with the original version of Honeycomb (particularly for Acer!) which are only now overcome

Acer reducing 2011 tablet PC shipment target by 50% [June 16, 2011]

Acer, on June 15, announced that the company has reduced its annual tablet PC shipment forecast from originally 5-7 million units to only 2.5-3 million units, a drop close to 50% and with brand vendors such as Motorola, RIM and Samsung Electronics all reportedly having reduced their tablet PC sales targets for 2011, concerns about whether Android-based tablet PCs will be able to compete against Apple’s iPad are starting to rise among market watchers.

At the company’s investors meeting on June 15, Acer chairman JT Wang pointed out that the company is currently in the middle of a great transition and the company’s current goal is to lower its retail channel inventory. The company expects to continue working on digesting its inventory throughout the third quarter with expectations to have an inventory level the same as 7-8 years ago. Although Acer will reduce its annual tablet PC shipments, Wang is still confident about the performance of Android-based tablet PCs.

Wang pointed out that all the things that the closed system can do will all be able to function in the open system, but if consumers use the former, they will need to follow everything the closed system designers says and have no choice for expansion, or run Flash, and will not be able to be their own master. Acer is trying to serve consumers who want to make their own decisions.

Wang noted that after taking a series of emergency measures, Acer is currently in a safer state than before and should reach its shipment goal for the second quarter of a sequential drop of 10%. For the future, Wang expects Acer’s third-quarter shipments to share a similar volume as in the second with a chance to be better. Its performance will bounce out of the button after the third quarter.

In addition to reducing inventory, the company is also working on reorganizing its employee management and is set to lay off about 300 employees in Europe, Africa and the Middle-East, while the US, Greater China and Asia Pacific markets will see no changes.

Acer president Jim Wong pointed out that the company already shipped 800,000 tablet PCs before the end of June and with the launch of its new 7-inch tablet PC, Acer’s tablet PC shipments in the third quarter will reach 800,000 units. Wong added that the estimated numbers are all retail channel sales and include no additional ‘push’.

Acer may fall out of the worldwide top-3 notebook ranking in 2Q11 [June 16, 2011]

As Acer is still working on resolving its notebook inventory issues and expects to suffer a sequential shipment drop of 10% in the second quarter, Lenovo, the fourth-largest global PC vendor, which is expected to see shipment growth in the quarter may surpass Acer and become the third-largest PC vendor worldwide.

In the first quarter of 2011, Acer shipped 9.01 million PCs and ranked the third-largest PC vendor worldwide with Lenovo behind with shipments of 8.18 million units, a gap of about 800,000 unit, according to data from IDC. If Acer sees shipments drop, while Lenovo enjoys an increase, the two firms may see their ranking switch in the third quarter.

In addition to strong PC demand in the China market, Lenovo’s acquisition of NEC’s PC business has successfully helped Lenovo to become the largest vendor in Japan, while its purchase of Germany-based brand Medion also significantly raised its visibility in Western Europe.

However, Acer president Jim Wong, at its investor conference on June 15, pointed out that Acer lost about 3% share in the EMEA market while clearing its inventory, but the situation already turned stable in May and Acer is expected to maintain its advantage in the market.

Acer decreases netbook shipments to focus on tablet PCs, say Taiwan makers [June 15, 2011]

Acer shipped 400,000-500,000 netbooks in May, 50% fewer than in April, and will maintain such decreased shipments in June and July, implying that Acer will not give up netbooks but will shift R&D and operational resources from the product line to tablet PCs, according to Taiwan-based makers in its supply chain.

With Acer’s tablet PC orders quickly rising to 200,000-300,000 units per month in May, the sources are optimistic about Acer’s strategy to turn its focus to the tablet PC as the profitability generated by netbooks is much lower than that of tablet PCs, and Acer’s upstream partners should all benefit from the higher gross margins of tablet PC products.

In addition to Acer, players such as Asustek Computer, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Lenovo have all switched their focus to tablet PCs, although the players are still launching new netbook products, related marketing resources invested are rather low compared to before, as netbooks can be easily substituted by tablet PCs.

Although Acer is turning its focus to the tablet PC market, the company still launched its second-generation Aspire One Happy this month in the US and Europe.

Acer notebook shipments in retail channel expected to surpass 3 million in June [June 14, 2011]

Acer’s notebook shipments in the retail channel are expected to surpass three million units in June and if the company’s upstream partners such as Compal Electronics, Wistron and Quanta Computer all see increased shipments in the month, it will indicate that Acer has achieved a great advance in digesting its inventory and should return to its normal operation in near future, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

Acer only shipped about 1.6-1.8 million notebooks to the retail channel in April and the volume increased close to 60% on month in May; however, notebook shipments of Acer’s upstream partners did not enjoy the same amount of growth in May, especially Compal, which only shipped 3.6-3.7 million notebooks including tablet PCs in both April and May. Compal even saw s shipment drop on month in May, indicating that Acer was still working of digesting its inventory.

The sources pointed out that Acer still has a high inventory level in Europe retail channel, but since the company has already seen improvements in both Southeast Asia and China, the company is now working aggressively to clear up its remaining inventory through its global logistic system with estimates of seeing shipments of 7.2-7.4 million notebooks in the second quarter.

Acer’s non-consolidated revenues in May grew 25.9% on month indicating that the company is seeing slow recovery in its operation, but since the company still has not yet provided its guidance for the third quarter, the sources expect Acer to have chance to release the related information at its investor conference on June 15.

Acer shareholders approve cash dividend and elect new board of directors [June 15, 2011]

Acer’s shareholders have approved the 2011 cash dividend of NT$3.60 (US$0.12) per share, and the reduction of employee bonuses for 2010 by 40%. Shareholders also elected a new board of directors and supervisors.

Acer announced in early June plans to lower channel inventory in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) by providing US$150 million in sales allowances and a one-time write off. The board and supervisors also voluntarily cut their remuneration by 50%. Today, the shareholders further approved plans to reduce employee bonuses by 40%, from NT$1.5 billion to NT$900 million. The cash dividend of NT$3.60 per share remains unchanged.

Shareholders elected a new board of directors and supervisors for the next three-year term. The newly elected seven-member board consists of JT Wang, Stan Shih, Hung Rouan Investment, Philip Peng, representing Smart Capital, Hsin-I Lin (former chairman of Industrial Technology Research Institute), Dr FC Tseng, and Sir Julian Horn-Smith. The supervisors are Carolyn Yeh and George Huang.

New to the board are the independent directors FC Tseng and Julian Horn-Smith. Acer expects to benefit from the knowledge and experience of Tseng and Horn-Smith, who are both globally distinguished talents. Their contribution from an independent standpoint to the company strategy, along with the board, will create a strong and well-rounded team to lead the corporation forward and enhance corporate governance, the company said.

Tsengco-founded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) as a pioneer specializing in the foundry-only semiconductor manufacturing business. A core member of the TSMC management, he is also considered a veteran in the semiconductor industry. Horn-Smith was a founding member of Vodafone Group and is regarded as the principal architect in developing Vodafone’s international strategy. He retired from the Vodafone board in July 2006, where he held the title of deputy CEO.

What is an APU? [Jan 8, 2011]

With Fusion technology from AMD, the PC industry will be changed forever. AMD is incorporating multi-core CPU (x86) technology, a powerful DirectX®11-capable discrete-level graphics and parallel processing engine onto a single die to create the first Accelerated Processing Unit (APU). Learn how AMD is doing that here.

Computex 2011: AMD announces solution for tablet PC [June 2, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

AMD, at its press conference at Computex 2011, announced a new 40nm Z series APU codenamed Desna to target the tablet PC market, according to Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President and General Manager Products Group, AMD.

In 2012, the company will advance its Z series APU to a new structure with a codename Hondo. The Hondo-based Z series APU will have an even lower power consumption to allow it to become more suitable for tablet PC products.

Bergman pointed out that AMD’s tablet PCs will be deeply integrated with operating systems such as Windows to support HTML 5, Adobe Flash 10.2 and external screens, and will add enterprise-level security functions to make them suitable also for the enterprise market.

Bergman, at the conference, also displayed AMDs 28nm Trinity APU, which is set for mass production in 2012.

AMD also announced its 9-series chipset, a part of AMD’s new desktop Scorpius platform. In addition to the chipset, the Scorpius platform is formed with an eight-core Zambezi processor and Radeon HD 6000 series discrete graphics card.

The 9-series chipset supports AMD’s AM3+ CPU and is backward compatible with AM3-based CPUs. With native support for AMD’s CrossFireX, the chipset can support up to four Radeon graphics cards and through AMD’s OverDrive software, the chipset can also manage the clock speed of each card.

A New Visual Computing Experience for Tablets | Fusion – AMD Blogs [May 31, 2011]

While I’m not planning to edit or create any PowerPoint decks on a tablet anytime soon, I personally see value in a tablet that gives me both the ability to consume and create content. For example, one of the applications I use every day in my work and home life is the OneNote application in Microsoft Office. Being able to access it across multiple devices via Windows Live has been invaluable for me of late. When I tried to access this on a non-Windows device, you can see what the result was in this picture below:

This is why I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one of the new tablets based on the new Z series AMD Fusion APU, code-named “Desna”. At Computex earlier today, we announced these new AMD Fusion APUs as part of our 2011 AMD HD Tablet Platform targeted at the fast-growing number of Windows-based tablet designs coming to market. And since a press release can only tell part of the story, here’s what you can expect from tablets powered by the new 2011 AMD HD Tablet Platform:

• AMD Z-01 APU with AMD Radeon™ HD 6250 discrete-class graphics. This APU features two 1 GHz “Bobcat” CPU cores and checks in at TDP of 5.9 watts.
• Full intelligence and operability of the Windows® 7 OS
• Consistency in user interface and applications from work to home
• Full access to view and edit work and personal documents created in Microsoft Office and other leading applications
• Free and automatic online Windows 7 OS updates to enable the most current features
• Full compatibility with iPhone, Windows Phone, Blackberry and other leading mobile phones
• Seamless connectivity with virtually any USB device
• HDMI support to enable a full 1080p visual experience
• Full compatibility with XBOX 360 Media Extender Functionality

The AMD Z-Series Fusion APUs are shipping today. MSI’s WinPad 110W is the first tablet announced by an OEM that leverages the new platform, giving consumers high-end performance graphics in a tablet that takes advantage of the Windows ecosystem –  the largest installed base of any client platform … by a wide margin.

One final thought, a company to keep your radar screen as you do your tablet research is BlueStacks. BlueStacks is helping to reshape the tablet ecosystem by essentially bridging the Windows and Android ecosystems together, thus opening up new application possibilities in the amazing clarity and detail that only an AMD Fusion APU-powered tablet can offer.

Look for a review of my experience on the MSI WinPad 110W in the coming weeks on our AMD Fusion blog.

Computex 2011: AMD Announces Bobcat-based Z Series APUs for Tablet Market [June 1, 2011]

While AMD does not have a true SoC to combat the likes of Intel, NVIDIA, and ARM, this doesn’t mean they’re completely ignoring the market for the type of devices SoCs normally go in. Announced today at Computex 2011 and shipping immediately will be AMD’z Z series APUs, AMD’s formal entry into the modern tablet market.

While at this time it’s nigh-on impossible to get into a phone without a SoC (just ask Intel), tablets can be more forgiving. With a larger device and a larger battery, such devices don’t necessarily have the same extreme integration requirements and battery life requirements as a phone, even if the processors used in such devices are often the same. As a result of AMD’s current resources and technologies, it’s the tablet market that they have decided to go after first.

The Z-series, codename “Desna”, currently has a single APU that is shipping immediately: the Z-01.

AMD APU Lineup
APU Model	Number of Bobcat Cores	CPU Clock Speed	GPU	Number of GPU Cores	GPU Clock Speed	TDP
AMD Z-01	2	1.0GHz	Radeon HD 6250	80	276Mhz	5.9W
AMD C-30	1	1.2GHz	Radeon HD 6250	80	280MHz	9W
AMD C-50	2	1.0GHz	Radeon HD 6250	80	280MHz	9W
AMD E-240	1	1.5GHz	Radeon HD 6310	80	500MHz	18W
AMD E-350	2	1.6GHz	Radeon HD 6310	80	500MHz	18W

The Z-01, as near as we can tell, is a power optimized version of AMD’s existing C-50 APU. It features the same dual-core CPU design, using a pair of Bobcat CPU cores running at 1GHz. The GPU meanwhile is a Radeon HD 6250, and while AMD hasn’t listed the clocks, we believe it’s clocked at the same 280MHz as in the C-50. We don’t have any information on whether AMD is using the same packaging for the Z-01 as they are the C series, but otherwise the available specifications are identical to the C-50 with one exception: TDP. While the C-50 is rated for 9W, the Z-01 is rated for 5.9W. Given the 33% power reduction, it’s a fair guess that AMD is binning Ontario chips to find ones that operate at the low voltages Z-01 would require.

Based on what we’ve seen with the C-50, the Z-01 should perform far above any other tablet processor. However the 5.9W TDP means that it’s not going to be in the same market as the likes of OMAP 4, Tegra 2, Apple’s A5, or even Intel’s Moorestown. All of these SoCs/platforms use well under 5.9W, and with the exception of Moorestown are all ARM based.

Ontario and Atom by Hans de Vries [Sept 16, 2010] [he is an industry and enthusiast community veteran]

Improved image with some benchmark info:

http://www.chip-architect.com/news/AMD_Ontario_Bobcat_vs_Intel_Pineview_Atom.jpg

[Such sensity is indicating that TSMC’s 40nm process is quite dense. If these numbers hold true that would mean Ontario is not only smaller than Atom, but also much higher performing. Note the amount of die area dedicated to graphics. This is going to be very good for entry level systems.]

Re: Welcome Llano! by Hans de Vries [March 13, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

Azazel wrote:

BTW, did you notice that top speed of mobile 4c Llano is just 1.8GHz when mobile 4c/8t SB lies in 2.2/2.3 GHz.
Why is that?

The “top-speed” part is made up by you……….

A 1.8GHz quad core AMD propus uses only 25W at 45nm.
Expect the power dissipation of the four 32nm Llano cores to reach far lower levels as that. It will get under 15W at 1.8GHz when the process matures.

Intel doesn’t have any quad core mobile processor running at less than 45 Watt, not even at 32nm. 45W is too much power dissipation especially if you also want a bit of reasonable (discrete) graphics in your very expensive notebook.

It’s seems we’ll have to wait until 2013 when Intel’s 22nm process matures enough to yield an economic quad core Ivy Bridge before we’ll see a quad core Intel mobile processor for the mainstream mobile market.

Regards, Hans

Acer Iconia Tab W500 Microsoft® Windows® 7 Tablet Delivers Ultimate Productivity for Customers in North America [April 21, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

Acer America today announced that the Acer Iconia Tab W500 – a 10.1-inch tablet running Microsoft® Windows® 7 – is available for sale now in North America.

The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is the ultimate productivity device for anyone who wants the flexibility and mobility of a tablet with the efficiency and familiarity of a Windows PC. It’s especially ideal for schools, small businesses, and for industries such as healthcare that need a tablet to be productive and stay in touch as they move around their work environment. In addition, customers can use the tablet to keep up with social networks and enjoy digital entertainment at work, at home and on the go.

The unique design centers on the high-resolution 10.1-inch multi-touch screen. Supporting multi-touch allows customers to interact intuitively with the display to check email, access websites, use cloud-based applications, and enjoy digital media. When it’s time to focus on productivity and creating content such as reports, spreadsheets and presentations, customers can get a true notebook PC experience with the system’s full-size chiclet docking keyboard.

“The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is the perfect tablet for people who want the touch capabilities that are so natural and efficient on the go, but also need a Windows environment to access productivity applications for work and school,” said Eric Ackerson, senior product marketing manager, Acer America. “So much of what we’re doing on the go is accessing information and consuming content in cloud-based applications, such as realtors and salespeople who need access to databases and Intranet sites. The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is the ultimate reflection of our lives – able to multitask between work and fun, and ready at a moment’s notice.”

“We’re pleased to see Acer continue to drive innovation that delivers new, exciting computing experiences to customers,” said Soren Lau, general manager of OEM Marketing, Microsoft Corporation. “The Acer Iconia Tab W500 combines the familiarity, security and portability of Windows 7 with entertainment and social connection features that allow customers to work and play on a single PC.”

Innovative Design Boosts Productivity
The combination of a responsive and intuitive touch experience with a dedicated docking keyboard makes the Acer Iconia Tab W500 a productivity booster. The full-size chiclet docking keyboard easily connects to the tablet via USB, holding it up at a comfortable viewing angle. The keyboard also provides docking station capabilities with extended connectivity of an Ethernet port for fast Internet connections, and a USB port for external devices. Plus, the docking keyboard features the Acer FineTrack™ pointing device with two buttons for convenient navigation.

When it’s time to transport the Acer Iconia Tab W500, the tablet deftly connects to the docking keyboard with quick-linking magnets, transforming it into an easy-to-store clamshell notebook. It easily fits in a briefcase or book bag. If users want to minimize travel weight, they can simply leave the keyboard behind; the tablet weighs only 2.14 pounds and measures 10.83(W) x 7.48(D) x 0.63(H) inches. The additional docking keyboard weighs 1.34 pounds and measures 10.83(W) x 7.48(D) x 0.43-0.77(H) inches.

The embedded Acer PowerSmart long-life 3260 mAh Li-polymer battery pack delivers up to four hours of unplugged HD video playback and six hours of Internet browsing.⁽¹⁾

Configurations, Availability and Pricing
The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is available in two models: the W500-BZ467 with Windows® 7 Home Premium has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $549.99, while the W500P-BZ841 with Windows® 7 Professional has a MSRP of $619.00. Both models are ready to be used for productivity and creation with Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 and are now available for sale at select retailers and channel partners in the United States.

The Acer Iconia Tab W500-BZ607 with Windows® 7 Home Premium is available at select retailers and channel partners in Canada for a MSRP of $599 CAD. The Acer Iconia Tab W500P-BZ412 with Windows® 7 Professional has a MSRP of $649.00 CAD and will be available in the channel by end of June.

Meaningful Communication with Video, Voice, Internet
Staying in touch on the go is easy with the Acer Iconia Tab W500. Customers can connect to Wi-Fi networks with reliable Acer InviLink Nplify 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED wireless technology at home and on the go for Internet access, checking email, and staying current on everything from news and blog sites to their Twitter feed. They also have Bluetooth to connect to printers, keyboards and other Bluetooth devices.

Two Acer Crystal Eye 1.3MP webcams – one each on the front and back of the device – used with Acer Video Conference Manager, let customers engage in video conferencing, as well as record HD videos and then quickly share them on Facebook, YouTube and other sites. The tablet also delivers excellent audio with Acer PureZone technology with two built-in stereo microphones featuring beam forming, echo cancellation, and noise suppression technologies.

Entertainment and Fun on the Go with Latest Technology
Work seamlessly blends into entertainment in so many ways today, and the Acer Iconia Tab W500 can be used to handle productivity and fun simultaneously. Powered by an AMD C-50 processor and supported by 2GB of DDR3 memory, the tablet delivers fast and reliable mobile performance. It also boasts integrated ATI Radeon HD 6250 graphics for realistic, crisp visuals on movies, web video and games. It also supports Adobe Flash and comes installed with Adobe Flash 10.1.

The tablet is ready to play back high definition Internet content and 1080p video on the high resolution 1280×800 LED-backlit display. Plus, sound is vibrant and clear with Dolby® advanced audio v2. The models come with a 32GB solid state drive,⁽²⁾ which provides incredibly fast data access while reducing weight and noise. The SD card reader can support SD cards up to 32GB in capacity.⁽²⁾

The ambient light sensor on the Acer Iconia Tab W500 allows it to be used in a range of environments. The integrated accelerometer provides auto-rotation between portrait and landscape modes for viewing presentations, documents, websites, movies, games and more in the most appropriate orientation.

Acer Ring Elevates Intuitive Touch Experience
Like all Acer Iconia products, the core of the Acer Iconia Tab W500 touch experience is the Acer Ring. Easy to launch with a simple grab gesture, it offers immediate access to special features and touch applications. By placing five fingers in a circular pattern, the Acer Ring appears to let consumers surf the web, capture screen images, post photos and status updates, watch movies and more, all in the manner most comfortable and natural to them.

Utilities in the Acer Ring include Clean Disk to manage and optimize disk space; Snipping Tool to quickly select, tag, and clip screen images; Device Control to fine-tune the tablet settings; Camera to launch Acer Crystal Eye Webcam; Calculator and Games.
The Acer Ring also features a series of AppCards that enhance everyday usage:

• TouchBrowser provides a touch-optimized browsing experience to let customers search for, open, resize, and select content from the web.
• SocialJogger connects three of the most popular social networking sites – Flickr, Facebook, and YouTube – in a single interface so that customers can connect with and update their networks holistically.
• My Journal lets customers collect web clips that are dynamically updated to stay posted on news of interest.
• Scrapbook is a convenient place to store, annotate and share website and photo images and other content.
• TouchPhoto, TouchMusic and TouchVideo provide direct access to multimedia files stored on the tablet.

clear.fi for Digital Media Sharing
Acer clear.fi is the digital media sharing system that lets customers enjoy their digital media content across their home quickly and effortlessly. Clear.fi automatically connects all Acer devices on a network (smartphones, notebooks, desktops, HD media players and storage devices) and then gathers and organizes media files by type (video, music, photo, pre-recorded TV). Users can browse the categories and then drag and drop the media to any of the connected PCs or devices for playback. The HDMI port with HDCP support ensures a single cable for true HD audio and video output.

ICONIA FAQ 13 (emphasis is mine)

Q: Does a stylus work on the Acer Iconia TAB W500 or Acer ICONIA dual screen touchbook?

A: Yes, a stylus that is compatible with capacitive touch screens can function on the Acer Iconia TAB W500 or Acer ICONIA dual screen touchbook.

Specifications Part Number: ICONIATabW500 Acer ICONIA Tab W500 Tablet Series

Following are the specifications for the Acer ICONIA Tab W500.
Specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Feature	Specification
Operating System	Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 32-bit
CPU and chipset1	AMD C-Series dual-core processor C-50 (1 MB L2 cache, 1 GHz, DDR3 1066 MHz, 9 W) AMD A50M Fusion™ Controller Hub
Memory1, 2,	Up to 2 GB of DDR3 onboard system memory
Display1	10.1″ HD 1280 x 800 resolution, high-brightness (350-nit), 146 PPI Acer CrystalBrite™ LED-backlit TFT LCD with integrated multi-touch screen, supporting finger touch and image auto rotation Wide viewing angle up to 80/80/80/80 degrees (up/down/left/right) Mercury-free, environment-friendly
Graphics	AMD Radeon™ HD 6250 Graphics with 256 MB of dedicated system memory, supporting Unified Video Decoder 3 (UVD3), OpenGL® 3.1, OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology, Shader Model 5.0, Microsoft® DirectX® 11 Dual independent display support 16.7 million colors External resolution / refresh rates3: VGA port up to 1920 x 1200: 60 Hz HDMI™ port up to 1920 x 1080: 60 Hz MPEG-2 DVD decoding VC-1 and H.264 AVC decoding MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX® decoding HDMI® (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) support
Audio	Optimized Dolby® Advanced Audio® v2 audio enhancement, featuring Audio Optimizer, Audio Regulator, Volume Leveler, Volume Maximizer, and Surround Virtualizer (for built-in speakers) technologies4 High-definition audio support Two built-in stereo speakers MS-Sound compatible Acer PureZone technology with two built-in stereo microphones, featuring beam forming, echo cancellation, and noise suppression technologies
Storage	Solid state drive 32 GB or larger, with mini-SATA (mSATA™) interface connector1, 5, 2-in-1 card reader, supporting: Secure Digital™ (SD) Card, MultiMediaCard™ (MMC) Storage cards with adapter: miniSD™, microSD™, Reduced-Size Multimedia Card (RS-MMC)
Webcam	Acer Video Conference1, featuring: Dual Acer Crystal Eye webcams with 1280 x 1024 resolution Acer Video Conference Manager software, featuring Video Quality Enhancement (VQE) technology, supporting online video calls6 Acer PureZone technology
Wireless and networking	WLAN:1, 7, 8, Acer InviLink™ Nplify™ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ (available only in Russia, Pakistan, Ukraine) Supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology WPAN:1 Bluetooth® 3.0+HS LAN: Fast Ethernet on the dock
Dimensions and weight	Dimensions 275 x 190 (D) x 15.95 (H) mm (10.83 x 7.48 x 0.63 inches) for the tablet 275 x 190 (D) x 11/19.5 (H) mm (10.83 x 7.48 x 0.43/0.77 inches) for the dock Weight 0.97 kg (2.14 lbs.)9 with 3-cell embedded battery for the tablet 0.61 kg (1.34 lbs.)9 for the dock
Power adapter and battery1	Product Safety Electric Appliance and Materials (PSE) certified for battery pack Power adapter 2-pin 40 W Acer MiniGo AC adapter: 93.2 x 48 (D) x 32.2 (H) mm (3.66 x 1.88 x 1.26 inches) 180 g (0.39 lbs.)9 with 250 cm DC cable Embedded battery Acer PowerSmart long-life battery, supporting up to 1,000 charge cycles10 36 Wh 3260 mAh 3-cell Li-polymer embedded battery Battery life: 6 hours11 for Internet browsing; 4 hours11 for 720p HD video playback
Input and control	84-/85-/88-key full-size Acer FineTip keyboard with international language support on the dock Acer FineTrack™ with two FineTrack™ buttons Dedicated Windows® key supporting single-press for Windows Start; single-press combined with power button for Ctrl+Alt+Del Dedicated volume up/down keys Rotation lock switch
Input and output	2-in-1 card reader (SD™, MMC) Two USB 2.0 ports each on the tablet and the dock HDMI® port with HDCP support Headphone/speaker jack, supporting 3.5 mm headset with built-in microphone for Acer smart handhelds Ethernet (RJ-45) port on the dock DC-in jack for AC adapter Sensors Ambient light sensor G-Sensor
Software16	Productivity Acer Ring Acer ePower Management Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 Adobe® Reader® 9.1 AUPEO! (US only) Bing™ Bar Device Control Kobo™ (Canada only) Microsoft® Office 2010 preloaded (purchase a product key to activate)13 Microsoft® Office Starter 201014 New York Times Reader (US only) NOOK for PC (US only) Security McAfee® Internet Security Suite Trial15 Multimedia Acer clear.fi Gaming WildTangent® Tablet Edition Communication and ISP Acer Crystal Eye for dual cameras Acer Video Conference Manager1 Microsoft® Silverlight™ My Journal SocialJogger Skype™ TouchBrowser Windows Live™ Essentials 20111 Web links and Utilities Acer Identity Card Acer Registration Acer Updater eBay® shortcut 2009 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, UK, US only) Netflix shortcut (US only)
Ecocompliance	ENERGY STAR®, WEEE, RoHS, Mercury-free
Options and accessories	Optional: Exclusive USB keyboard dock 2-pin 40 W Acer MiniGo AC adapter External USB HDD External USB ODD
Warranty	One-year International Travelers Warranty (ITW)

Windows®. Life without Walls™. Acer recommends Windows 7.

1. Specifications vary depending on model.

2. Shared system memory may be allocated to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors. Actual system memory available to the operating system will be reduced by any memory used by the graphics solution and resources required by the operating environment.

3. Resolution/refresh rates depend on display capability and color/depth settings.

4. Dolby® is a registered trademark of Dolby® Laboratories. Dolby® Home Theater® is a trademark of Dolby® Laboratories.

5. 1 GB is 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less and may vary depending on preloaded materials and operating environment.

6. Two VQE-enabled Acer notebooks with dual-core processors are required to enjoy the exclusive benefits and added performance of VQE.

7. Actual throughput may vary depending on network conditions and environmental factors such as network traffic or overhead, building construction, and access point settings.

8. Acer Nplify™, a high-throughput wireless solution, delivers superior performance and reliable connections while enabling emerging voice, video and data applications. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, it supports Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology and is compliant with 802.11a/b/g/n and 802.11b/g standards.

9. Weight may vary depending on product configuration, vendor components, manufacturing variability, and selected options.

10. The battery will hold up to 80% of its original capacity after as many as 1,000 recharges. A full recharge comprises a complete charge-and-discharge cycle, and does not always occur each time the notebook is plugged in to a power source, as several partial charges can add up to a full recharge.

11. The listed battery life is based on the following test conditions: wireless on; 150-nit LCD brightness; 3G, light sensor, Bluetooth® off; McAfee® anti-virus program enabled; Windows® scheduled programs and Standby/Hibernation power states disabled. Battery life rating is for comparison purposes only. Actual battery life varies by model, configuration, applications, power management settings, operating conditions, and utilized features. A battery’s maximum capacity decreases with time and use.

12. Bundled software may vary depending on hardware configuration, OS and regional availability.

13. Purchase an Office 2010 product key to activate one of the following Office 2010 suites preloaded on this PC: Office Home and Student 2010, Office Home and Business 2010, Office Professional 2010.

14. Includes limited-functionality Microsoft® Word and Excel with advertising; no PowerPoint or Outlook. Purchase Office 2010 to activate full-featured Office.

15. Trial periods vary depending on the geographic region and specifications: 365-day trial for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore (Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese OS models); 60-day trial for other regions.

Acer places orders for 80,000 Z series APUs from AMD for tablet PCs [June 9, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

Acer has recently placed orders for 80,000 Z series APUs from AMD for use in tablet PCs, targeting the enterprise market, according to sources from upstream component makers. However, both Acer and AMD did not confirm the orders.

In addition to Acer, Micro-Star International (MSI) is also developing tablet PC models using AMD’s APU.

Since Google Android 3.0 currently still has issues which need to be resolved, while the next-generation Android operating system codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich will not appear until the end of 2011, some tablet PC vendors have decided to launch Windows 7-based tablet PCs targeting the enterprise market to maintain their shipments.

Since Intel’s Oak Trail-based Atom processor is higher in both price and power consumption, several notebook vendors have already started considering AMD’s platform. In addition to Acer and MSI, some vendors have also started inquiring about AMD’s Z series APU.

AMD’s Z series APU is produced through Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC’s) 40nm process and is already shipping, targeting the Windows-based tablet PC market, noted the sources adding that they expect shipments of Z series APUs to reach at least 500,000 units in the second half of 2011, creating strong pressure on Intel’s Oak Trail processor.

AMD announces details of a new generation of Fusion chips for 2011-2012 – slideshow [June 15, 2011]

AMD has now announced a complete line of series hybrid CPU + GPU Fusion chip designed for portable computers and mobile devices such as tablet (see previous news from the list of chips). In addition, AMD has presented information on the rest of the Fusion generation including processors that will compete with Intel’s Sandy Bridge generation – details can be seen on the slides.

AMD announces A series APUs for mainstream PCs [June 14, 2011]

AMD has announced the availability of the new high-performance AMD Fusion A series accelerated processing units (APUs) for consumer notebooks and desktops.

The AMD A series APUs combine up to four x86 CPU cores with an integrated DirectX 11-capable discrete-level graphics unit that features up to 400 Radeon cores along with dedicated HD video processing on a single chip. AMD A series APUs also support features such as gesture interfaces, multiple-monitors, 3D and real-time image stabilization.

The AMD A series APUs (Llano) are currently shipping and scheduled to appear in more than 150 notebooks and desktops from the global OEMs throughout the second quarter of 2011 and beyond. Delivering serial and parallel computing capabilities for HD video, 3D rendering and data-intensive workloads in a single-die processor, the AMD A Series APUs offer software developers unprecedented power and potential in an ever smaller package, said AMD.

The AMD A series APUs are capable of delivering more than 10.5 hours of battery life during idle mode, a more than 50% increase compared to AMD’s previous mainstream platform. Additionally, AMD dynamic switchable graphics optimize battery life on PCs featuring AMD dual-graphics solutions by intelligently managing power states on the APU and separate discrete AMD Radeon GPU.

TSMC wins orders for 28nm GPU from AMD, says paper [June 17, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

AMD reportedly has completed the tape-out of its next-generation GPU, codenamed Southern Islands, on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) 28nm process with High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) technology, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report. The chip is set to expected to enter mass produciton at the end of 2011.

TSMC will also be AMD’s major foundry partner for the 28nmKrishna and Wichita accelerated processing units (APUs), with volume production set to begin in the first half of 2012, the report said.

TSMC reportedly contract manufactures the Ontario, Zacate and Desna APUs for AMD as well as the Northern Island family of GPUs. All of these use the foundry’s 40nm process technology.

TSMC was quoted as saying in previous reports that it had begun equipment move-in for the phase one facility of a new 12-inch fab (Fab 15) with volume production of 28nm technology products slated for the fourth quarter of 2011. The foundry previously said it would begin moving equipment into the facility in June, with volume production expected to kick off in the first quarter of 2012.

Foundry partners for next-generation AMD APU and GPU series
Product/Partner	2011	2012
Mainstream and high-end APU	Llano	Trinity
Foundry partners	Globalfoundries 32nm SOI	Globalfoundries 32nm SOI
Entry-level APU targeting tablets	Ontario/ Zacate/ Desna	Krishna/Wichita
Foundry partners	TSMC 40nm	TSMC 28nm HKMG, Globalfoundries 28nm HKMG
GPU	Northern Islands	Southern Islands
Foundry partners	TSMC 40nm	TSMC 28nm HKMG

Source: Commercial Times [Chinese language], compiled by Digitimes, June 2011

AMD Said to Contract TSMC, GlobalFoundries to Make 28nm Chips [June 20, 2011]

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is reportedly to designate Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) as its primary contract supplier of 28nm Krishna/Wichita microprocessors early next year and GlobalFoundries as another contract source later in 2012, according to local media.

The report said that Krishna/Wichita are the next-generation versions of the low-end AMD Ontario/Zacate family. AMD has contracted TSMC, currently the world`s No.1 pure silicon foundry, to build its Ontario/Zacate processors and the Desna processors meant for tablet PCs using 40nm process technology.

Robust demand for Ontario/Zacate and Desna processors in developing economies has promoted AMD to ramp up contracts to TSMC.

Also, AMD Northern Island-family graphics processing units are under volume production at TSMC based on 40nm process. The graphics lineup`s next generation, the 28nm Southern Island family, has seen its tapeout completed by TSMC, which is expected to start contract manufacturing of the chips for AMD by the end of this year.

AMD`s 32nm Llano processors have entered into volume production at GlobalFoudries. The report also noted that GlobalFoundries will be also a major contract manufacturer of AMD`s Trinity processors, which are designed on 32nm SOI rule, in 2012. Trinity is developed for laptops and more efficient than Llano.

Globalfoundries names interim CEO, new key management appointments [June, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

The board of directors of Globalfoundries, along with its majority shareholder the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), has announced its new leadership.

Semiconductor industry veteran Ajit Manocha has been appointed interim CEO of Globalfoundries. James Norling will serve as executive chairman and Ibrahim Ajami will serve as VP of the company’s board of directors. All appointments are effective immediately.

Doug Grose, who has served as CEO of Globalfoundries since its inception, will transition to become senior adviser to Globalfoundries and ATIC with a focus on technology leadership and ensuring delivery of next generation technologies for competitive differentiation. COO Chia Song Hwee will remain with the company in that position until August 2011, when he will return to be part of Singapore’s business future, Globalfoundries indicated.

“Doug Grose and Chia Song Hwee formed the foundation of Globalfoundries, bringing together the world’s leading-edge manufacturing technology with the heritage of a full-service foundry partner,” said Norling. “This new leadership team will build on that foundation, as we increase investment in technology, capacity and talent while optimizing performance.”

Norling also said an executive search for a permanent CEO has already begun. Manocha’s focus is to work closely with top management and talent of the company to optimize performance, and continue progress on the capacity and technology roadmap.

Manocha has more than 30 years of global expertise in operations, general management and manufacturing. He was previously executive VP of Worldwide Operations at Spansion.

Norling is the former chairman of Chartered and also served as interim CEO of that company in 2002. He was previously with Motorola from 1965 to 2000 holding various positions.

“Globalfoundries, with the continuous support of ATIC, is in the middle of an intense, competitive ramp-up of manufacturing capacity and technology development,” said Ajami, who will also remain CEO of ATIC. “Under this new leadership team, investment in Globalfoundries will double over the next 18 months.”

Through end of May 2011, ATIC had invested over US$6 billion to acquire the former manufacturing assets of AMD in Dresden, Germany, and the assets of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing of Singapore, as well as an estimated US$1 billion to construct a new fabrication facility in upstate New York. Through the end of 2012, ATIC will invest another approximately US$6 billion in manufacturing capacity in Dresden, Singapore and New York with initial construction to begin in Abu Dhabi, Globalfoundries said in a statement.

AMD displaying next generation APU platform; adopts 28nm process in 2012 [June 16, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

AMD has displayed notebook models using its next-generation Trinity platform, based on Bulldozer at its Fusion Developer Summit (AFDS), and is set to launch the new platform in 2012 with enhanced performance and power consumption compared to its current Llano platform. The new platform’s parallel calculations are also estimated to perform 50% better, according to Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President and General Manager Products Group, AMD.

AMD’s APU product line is currently divided into several different segments:
– G series CPUs, set to target embedded products;
– C series CPUs designed for ultra-thin notebooks or tablet PCs;
– Z series mainly targeting tablet PCs;
– E series targeting ultra-thin notebooks or small form factor (SFF) desktop PCs; and
– A series targeting mainstream notebooks, all-in-one PCs and desktop PCs.

Compared to Intel’s processors, Bergman believes AMD’s APU shares a similar concept as Intel’s Sandy Bridge, but Sandy Bridge is unable to provide parallel calculations as strong as AMD’s APU, and does not support the existing industry standards such as DirectX 11, Open GL 4.1 or OpenCL. In addition, Sandy Bridge is designed based on the application user interface of Windows Vista, while AMD’s APU is capable of fully supporting the application user interface of Windows 7, Bergman added.

As for the product design, Intel’s graphics technologies only account for a small proportion of the CPU product’s size, while AMD’s GPU design accounts for about 40% of the APU’s size. The company is even integrating a graphics solution with a performance level of discrete graphics chips to offer strong parallel calculations and Intel’s graphic solution, which is rather basic and simple, is not capable of competing against such advances, Bergman noted.

In addition, AMD’s Dual Graphics technology also allows its APU to coordinate with AMD’s discrete graphics cards to allow a graphics performance boost of 75%. With Intel’s graphics solution in Sandy Bridge, the integrated graphics is not used if an additional discrete graphics card is added to the platform, Berman pointed out.

The Trinity platform will still adopt 32nm process and AMD is set to launch Krishna with 28nm process in 2012, Bergman noted. Commenting on questions whether AMD will outsource its production to Globalfoundries or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Bergman only said that both firms will have the chance to produce the 28nm products for AMD.

Leaked Presentation Reveals AMD’s Fusion Strategy [May 27, 2011]

AMD APUs for 2012: 32nm Trinity, 28nm Krishna, 28nm Hondo. Not shown are 28nm Wichita, Weatherford and Richland

AMD Details Future Technical Roadmap for its Award Winning Fusion Architecture at Industry Developer Summit [June 14, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

AMD (NYSE: AMD) detailed to more than 700 developers and PC industry executives the roadmap for its Fusion System Architecture (FSA). The specific design features planned for future AMD products were presented in the opening keynote of the AMD Fusion Developer Summit. FSA describes AMD’s overarching design for having combinations of CPU and GPU processor cores operate as a unified processing engine that is both higher performance and much lower power than previous architectures. Many of the specific FSA enhancements discussed will be leveraged by newer programming languages, and interfaces like OpenCL™ and DirectCompute, making it easier for the software developer to fully exploit the unique capabilities of the AMD accelerated processing unit (APU).

“The first APUs from AMD dramatically increase processing performance while consuming less power and now we are building upon that achievement with our next generation of products” said Phil Rogers, AMD Corporate Fellow. “Future innovations are intended to make the different processor cores more transparent to programmers. They can then seamlessly tap into the gigaflops of power-efficient performance available on the APU and design even faster, more visually stunning applications on a wide range of form factors.”

Today’s APUs

Available since January of this year, AMD’s line-up of APUs are the first to integrate x86 CPU cores and DirectX™ 11-capable Radeon™ GPU cores on a single die and have been widely adopted by computing OEMs worldwide.  Being on the same chip reduces the system power and bill-of-materials, speeds the flow of data between the CPU and GPU through shared memory, and allows the GPU to function as both a graphics engine and an application accelerator in highly efficient compute platforms.

APUs of Tomorrow

Building on the success of the integration of CPU and GPU processing cores on the same chip, AMD is now focused on evolving the architecture to make it appear as a unified processing element to the software programmer.   That includes a number of evolutionary steps expected to continue through 2014 such as:

• Support for C++ features that more fully leverage the GPU as a parallel processor
• User-mode scheduling for lower latency task dispatch between CPUs and GPUs
• Unified memory address space and fully coherent memory shared by the CPU and GPU so they operate seamlessly together

AMD also announced plans to publish a detailed specification on the features and functionality required to meet the requirements of the architecture.

Supporting Resources

• A webcast replay of Phil Roger’s keynote will be available for 10 days
• Access AMD’s Developer Central site for the latest tools and tutorials
• Information on the AMD Fusion Family of APU processors

What’s next for AMD Fusion? [June 15, 2011] By Phil Rogers – Corporate Fellow at AMD (emphasis is mine)

What a year it has been already for AMD and its APU products – we have now announced top-to-bottom families of processors that support everything from low-power tablets to performance notebooks and desktops.   All of which integrate DirectX™ 11™-capable graphics with new “Bobcat” or 32nm “Stars” x86 CPU cores.   Bringing the GPU and the CPU together on a single chip was a critical step for AMD, and the resulting processors are finding a welcome home with OEMs and end-users.

We are just getting started.

At this week’s AMD Fusion Development Summit in Bellevue, Washington, I spoke to more than 600 attendees about where we plan to take the industry next with the AMD Fusion System Architecture (FSA).  The audience was primarily software developers, recognizing that they are critical to our success and that we want their participation during the development of the platform.  I have been developing 3D graphics and parallel computation software for more than 20 years, so I understand why total platform design is required to fully enable a programmer’s creativity and productivity.

In steering the architectural direction of FSA in my role as Corporate Fellow, my primary concern has been how to make heterogeneous (i.e., APU) programming easier, more natural and accessible to the largest possible community of software developers.

So what does that mean, really?  We aim to make the unprecedented parallel processing capability of the GPU on the APU as accessible to programmers as the CPU is today.  To do that there are a series of simplifying steps we plan to take that will improve on what is already a great foundation:

• Add support for C++ features that more fully leverage the GPU as a parallel processor
• Unify the memory address space shared by the CPU and GPU, and make it coherent, so they operate seamlessly together.
• Add user mode scheduling, to dramatically reduce the time it takes for the CPU and GPU to dispatch work to each other.

There are others, but these are big ones, resulting in the biggest leap forward.  Once the AMD Fusion System Architecture is realized, the GPU is a true peer processor to the CPU, with direct access by software.

In the meantime, the benefits of the integration step are readily apparent:  dramatic improvements in battery life for AMD platforms; smaller form factors through reduction in the silicon footprint; acceleration of applications that leverage OpenCL and DirectCompute via the GPU, just to name a few.

I hope you will check back in to the AMD Fusion Blog from time-to-time to get updates on our progress!

A webcast replay of my keynote will be available for the next 10 days.

AMD Announces Thought Leaders from ARM and Microsoft to be Among Keynote Speakers at AMD Fusion Developer Summit [April 26, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced a distinguished line-up of keynote speakers as well as technical session topics for the inaugural AMD Fusion Developer Summit (AFDS), which will be held June 13-16, 2011 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington.

Industry keynote presentations will be delivered by esteemed industry experts from AMD, ARM and Microsoft. In his keynote “Heterogeneous Parallelism at Microsoft” Herb Sutter, Microsoft principal architect of Native Languages, will showcase upcoming innovations to bring access to increasingly heterogeneous compute resources directly into the world’s most popular native languages.

Jem Davies, ARM fellow and vice president of Technology, Media Processing Division, will deliver a keynote about ARM’s long history of heterogeneous computing, its future strategy, and ARM’s support of standards, including OpenCL™.

The summit will open and close with AMD keynote presentations as well. AMD corporate fellow Phil Rogers will explore the programmer’s guide to Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), and Eric Demers, AMD corporate vice president and chief technology officer, Graphics, will deliver a keynote that chronicles the evolution of AMD’s graphics cores and discuss next-generation AMD graphics technology.

“The development experts we’ve chosen to share their work at AFDS are at the forefront of next-generation programming, and are working to harness the full processing power of heterogeneous computing technologies,” said  Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “The AMD Fusion Developer Summit is the best place for developers, academics and innovators to collaborate around parallel programming and industry standards, helping the developer community to realize the promise of the latest computing methodologies, today and into the future.”

Technical sessions, tutorials, hands-on labs and keynote presentations at AFDS will cover a range of topics including heterogeneous and high-performance computing (HPC), next-generation user interfaces, parallel programming tools and industry-standard application programming interfaces (APIs) such as OpenCL™, OpenGL™, Java and Microsoft DirectCompute. The Session Catalog for the AMD Fusion Developer Summit lists more than 90 in-depth technology sessions to be presented by industry and academic experts.

Speakers will be in attendance from a range of industry companies, universities and government organizations. Session topics include:

• Developer Tools
• Enterprise Computing
• High-Performance Computing
• Multimedia Processing
• Professional Graphics and Visual Computing
• Programming Models
• Security
• User Interface and Media Experiences

Developers interested in the latest heterogeneous computing tools and training can register for AFDS on the event website and take advantage of a special low registration fee of $300 this inaugural year.

Resources

• AMD Fusion Developer Summit Event page
• More information: AMD Fusion APU
• Twitter: Follow AMD updates @AMDSoftware
• Facebook:  Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook
• Blogs: Follow the AMD Developer Central blog and AMD Fusion blog

AMD Demonstrates Llano APU [Oct 18, 2010]

AMD’s Chris Cloran demonstrates the Llano APU in Taipei at the 6th annual AMD Technical Forum and Exhibition. In the first public demonstration of Llano, Chris demonstrates simultaneous HD video playback, multi-threaded Pi calculation, and N-Body simulation utilizing the CPU and GPU cores.

AMD Ushers in Next Generation of Computing with AMD A-Series APUs [June 14, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the next generation in mainstream consumer computing with the availability of the new high-performance AMD Fusion A-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). Enabling truly immersive computing experiences in consumer notebooks and desktops, the AMD A-Series APUs enable brilliant HD graphics, supercomputer-like performance and over 10.5 hours of battery life².

In an increasingly digital and visually oriented world, consumers are placing ever-higher priorities on multitasking, vivid graphics, lifelike games, lag-free videos, and ultimate multimedia performance. To meet these needs, the AMD A-Series APUs combine up to four x86 CPU cores with powerful DirectX®11-capable discrete-level graphics and up to 400 Radeon™ cores along with dedicated HD video processing on a single chip. AMD A-Series APUs also allow for advanced capabilities such as gestural interfaces, multi-monitor support, 3D entertainment and real-time image stabilization³.

“The AMD A-Series APU represents an inflection point for AMD and is perhaps the industry’s biggest architectural change since the invention of the microprocessor,” said Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Products Group. “It heralds the arrival of brilliant all-new computing experiences, and enables unprecedented graphics and video performance in notebooks and PCs. Beginning today we are bringing discrete-class graphics to the mainstream.”

The AMD A-Series APUs (previously codenamed “Llano”) are currently shipping and scheduled to appear in more than 150 notebooks and desktops⁴ from leading OEMs throughout the second quarter of 2011 and beyond. Delivering powerful serial and parallel computing capabilities for HD video, 3D rendering and data-intensive workloads in a single-die processor, the AMD A-Series APUs offer software developers unprecedented power and potential in an ever smaller package.

AMD AllDay™ Power: Battery Life that Lasts

The AMD A-Series APU delivers the power to match how consumers actually use their PCs: all day – without sacrificing performance. Delivering more than 10.5 hours of resting battery life – a more than 50 percent increase compared to the 2010 AMD Mainstream Platform – users can get their work done or watch multiple HD movies on a single charge⁵. Additionally, AMD dynamic switchable graphics optimize battery life on PCs featuring AMD dual-graphics solutions by intelligently managing power states on the APU and separate discrete AMD Radeon™ GPU.

“The battery life of the AMD A-Series APU is a huge leap forward and will surprise many consumers and commercial customers,” said Chris Cloran, Vice President and General Manager, Client Division, AMD. “And the supercomputer-like performance will give people some revolutionary capabilities, like real-time image stabilization –taking out all the shakes and jitters in those hand-held videos on the fly, while you’re watching.”

Brilliant HD: Every Pixel Matters

People are making, sharing and enjoying more digital content than ever on their PCs, and the AMD VISION Engine – cutting-edge hardware and software featured with every AMD A-Series APU that automatically helps digital content like videos, games and photos look their best. HD video is crystal clear through dedicated video playback technology and dynamic post-processing, and websites render faster with accelerated HTML5 and Direct2D performance. Editing, transferring and viewing HD content is fast and easy with support for advanced connection standards, including HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.1, and USB 3.0, along with native support for multiple monitors.

Also introduced with the AMD A-Series APU is a new feature called AMD Steady Video⁶ designed to stabilize videos during playback – making unsteady, jumpy content look steady and smooth. The AMD A-Series APU can also enables advanced capabilities like gestural interfaces, 3D gaming and 3D Blu-ray video entertainment – features that are now key to consumer PC experiences and expectations.

Every PC built with an AMD A-Series APU delivers brilliant HD by offering discrete-class DirectX® 11-capable graphics – with models available at virtually every price point. Only AMD Fusion APUs offer true AMD Dual Graphics, with up to 75 percent graphics performance boost, when paired with an AMD Radeon™ discrete graphics card⁷.  This faster, higher-quality, more vivid and lifelike delivery makes consumers feel fully present in their digital world, especially when gaming.

Personal Supercomputing: Ultimate Performance

Consumers are doing more than ever before with their PCs – from work to play – and with the AMD A-Series APU, even their laptops can keep up, delivering  next generation  parallel processing.  With up to 400 gigaflops for notebook, and up to 500 gigaflops for desktops⁸, AMD A-Series APUs ensure users have the horsepower needed to handle the most demanding applications such as video and image processing, facial recognition, gesture recognition and multitasking scenarios. For the most challenging environments, AMD Fusion A-Series APUs offer AMD Turbo Core Technology, which dynamically optimizes and boosts CPU and GPU performance to power-efficient levels depending on the applications being run.

The Growing AMD Fusion Ecosystem

AMD has seen great momentum in the software developer community since the launch of AMD Fusion APUs in January 2011, with more than 50 leading applications now accelerated by the family of AMD Fusion APUs and advanced browsers like Internet Explorer 9 delivering even more immersive, next generation web experiences when running on an AMD Fusion APU-powered PC. And, the inaugural AMD Fusion Developer Summit, running now through June 16 in Seattle, Washington, is providing a forum for developers, academics and innovators to collaborate around parallel programming and industry standards, like OpenCL™, helping the software ecosystem build on the promise of the latest computing methodologies.

Supporting Resources

• Read about recent AMD Fusion news at http://blogs.amd.com/fusion/
• Visit the AMD Fusion website for more information about AMD Fusion APUs
• See the VISION Technology website for updates on branding program
• Check out demos of AMD Fusion APUs on the AMD Unprocessed YouTube Channel
• Follow all news from the AMD on Twitter at @AMD_Unprocessed
• Watch Keynotes from the AMD Fusion Developer Summit
• View the webcast from the AMD A-Series Launch Event

AMD Fusion APU Llano in a Multi-Tasking Technology Demonstration [Feb 28, 2011]

AMD’s Fusion APU code-named Llano handles high definition graphics and video with ease and excellent power efficiency. In this demonstration, The Llano APU goes head-to-head in visually intense workloads against a system based on Intel Core i7-2630QM based on the Sandy Bridge architecture. CPU –

Configurations Employed In Video Demo
APU – AMD Accelerated Quad-Core Processor [A8-3510MX later coming out @1.GHz and 45W] Engineering Sample
Chipset – AMD Fusion Controller Hub Engineering Sample
Video Driver – 8.830.0.0
Screen Size – 14 inch Diagonal
Screen Resolution – 1366 X 768
Memory – 4 Gb 1333 DDR3Ram
Hard Drive – C300 128Gb SSD
OS – Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

CPU – Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM 2.0Ghz
Graphics – Intel® HD 3000 Graphics
Chipset – Intel® 6 Series/C200 series chipset family
Video Driver – 8.15.10.2279
Screen Size – 14 inch Diagonal
Screen Resolution – 1366 X 768
Memory – 4 Gb 1333 DDR3Ram
Hard Drive – C300 128Gb SSD
OS – Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

AMD Platform Innovations with ‘Sabine’ [A-Series] [June 9, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

I recently attended an AMD event in Abu Dhabi, UAE where we held a briefing of our upcoming “Sabine” notebook platform featuring our new APU, codenamed “Llano”.  In AMD parlance, “Llano” is the “big iron”, that is, processors designed for performance first.  After I delivered my presentation, I had a chance to speak with some of the press to gauge their feedback.  One universal theme was the great impression that we made with our platform innovations, features, features outside of the core x86, graphics, video and compute functions.  Here is a brief summary of the great steps forward we have made with the platform features of “Sabine”.

Power

Systems based on AMD technology have long been criticized for having a shorter battery life than systems based on competing technology.  This is no longer the case with “Sabine.”  Yes.  In fact, internal testing demonstrates our “Sabine” platform will yield as good or better battery life than our competitor’s current platforms.  In our labs we were able to exceed our expectations in terms of battery life using the Windows 7 idle test on the very same platform that we sampled to the press. This battery life performance handily surpasses a competing platform that was purchased at retail.

This will be a shocker to many people including the competition.  As with any significantly disruptive product, the “Llano” APU is transformational across many vectors.  As if the nearly 500 Gigaflops or Quad Core x86 combined with a Discrete Class DirectX 11-capable GPU wasn’t enough, Llano has exceeded expectations is reducing our idle power consumption and increasing our power efficiency.

AMD has become increasingly religious about lowering power consumption over the past few years.  When we designed the “Llano” APU, power was of primary importance in our design goals.  It would be very convenient if there was just one area that consumed excessive power; what we found however was that cumulative savings came from many contributing factors and our engineering teams fought for every last mW of those savings. In the end we delivered enough power savings to enable us boost battery life dramatically over our prior platforms! How long exactly? You’ll have to wait until we launch in June for that info. But trust me, it will be worth the wait.

Ironically, we have engineers in the company who work on delivering the best performance available for a 300 watt graphics card — and those same engineers fought for 50 mW on other products.  50 mW is 1 6000^th of 300 watts!

Our course, it is not just idle power where AMD has innovated.  With modern graphics based workloads, we really show “Llano’s” mettle.  As the video below demonstrates, the “Llano” APU enables several hours of intensive graphics active platform use, while on battery power, surpassing the capability of the competitive platform. This is a testament to AMD’s decision to use an extremely efficient and powerful graphics processor.

USB 3.0 Integration

With our new “Sabine” platform, AMD is the first company to integrate USB 3.0 into its core logic.  Because of this, we’re enabling the following benefits of USB 3.0 over USB 2.0:

• 10X bandwidth allowing up to 5 Gbps transfer rates
• Full Duplex and Asynchronous operation
• More power available through the ports

Translation:  USB 3.0 enables the use of 1080p cameras!  This means a new level of realism for video conferencing and other forms of tele-presence.  We have been working with our partner, Point Grey who have developed a very small USB 3.0 based camera which they call “Flea3”.  This camera can stream uncompressed 1080p60 video. As you can see in the linked video <link>, while an AMD system using Flea3 is able to request and process the same frames per second rate as the Intel system, it’s also able to display up to 4x the Hz— enabling a much sharper, jolt-free visual experience.  There are other benefits to integrating USB 3.0 as well, including the availability of 4 ports instead of the current 2 found in most discrete solutions today.

AMD has really transformed itself over the past 4 years as “Llano” gestated.  As we get closer to the launch, more details will continue to trickle out.  AMD is extremely excited to finally deliver the “Big Iron” APU.  Personally, I cannot wait until I can get hold of one to call my own.

The art of the possible with Unilimited Realities [June 14, 2011]

You know when you see something that makes you say “Wow”. That was my reaction when I saw the work that New Zealand-based Unlimited Realities was doing in the area of touch-based consumer applications. And now, I’m pleased to be able to talk about our collaboration on the next generation of their Fingertapps suite of apps.

What is unique about Unlimited Realities is that they combine the latest technologies, like graphics acceleration with DirectX 11, with new ways of interacting with your PC, like touch, to create applications that appeal to a broad consumer base. Things like touch-based musical instruments, family activity apps and multi-player touch enabled games.

At AMD’s Experience Brilliance launch of the AMD A-Series APUs in Seattle last night, we showed off some of the work that the teams have been doing over the past few months to demonstrate what is possible when you combine software and hardware innovation. The new apps take advantage of the unique capabilities in the AMD Fusion APUs to give you an amazing visual experience not possible on previous generations of processors.

The AMD APU-optimized versions of Fingertapps are expected to be available later this summer.

Flirtatious Francois: AMD Fusion [June 8, 2011]

AMD’s line-up of APUs are the first to integrate x86 CPU cores and DirectX™ 11-capable Radeon™ GPU cores on a single die.

AMD Unveils New Software Tools Designed to Accelerate the Development of Brilliant Computing Experiences [June 13, 2011]

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced a new set of software development tools and solutions to enable developers to optimize their applications for OpenCL™ standards. These advanced tools create a foundation for software companies to realize the full potential of the AMD Fusion Family of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), harnessing the combined compute power of AMD’s high-performance CPUs and GPUs across a wide array of heterogeneous computing platforms. As a result, developers can bring to life innovative experiences like HD video, 3D gaming, video conferencing and intuitive user interfaces, to truly differentiate their applications in the market.

“AMD is working closely with the developer community to make it easier to bring the benefits of heterogeneous computing to consumers, enabling next-generation system features like vivid video, supercomputer-like performance and enhanced battery life,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “Our advanced developer tools and solutions enable a new era of parallel programming that’s based on industry standards and focused on delivering innovative user experiences that span a variety of computing form factors.”

Among the new offerings is the gDEBugger™ product, which was created by experts from AMD’s new Israeli research center, based on AMD’s acquisition of startup company Graphic Remedy in October 2010. gDEBugger is an advanced OpenCL and OpenGL debugger, profiler and memory analyzer. The new AMD gDEBugger release provides developers with the ability to debug OpenCL kernels, running on AMD GPUs, and step through their source code while examining kernel variables and data. This product, which is a plug-in designed to work with Microsoft Visual Studio®, includes all of gDEBugger’s previous features and capabilities.

Additional developer solutions include a Parallel Path Analyzer (PPA), Global Memory for Accelerators (GMAC) and Task Manager tools, which are being developed by Multicoreware in collaboration with AMD. These new tools and solutions, expected to be available in Beta during Q3 of this year, are designed to make OpenCL GPU development easier and more efficient.

• Parallel Path Analyzer (PPA) is an advanced profiling tool for developing applications that optimize both GPU and CPU load. The PPA visualizes data transfers and kernel execution, identifies system-wide critical paths and locates data dependencies.
• The Global Memory for Accelerators (GMAC) API provides a framework in which a developer can create applications leveraging the immense compute capabilities of OpenCL, but without the overhead of having to explicitly manage multiple data buffers across the separate address spaces of GPU and CPU.
• The Task Manager API provides a framework for managing compute tasks in a heterogeneous multi-core environment. OpenCL kernels can be automatically scheduled to execute on an available and task-appropriate device, providing dynamic load balancing, optimizing use of available compute resources and removing the burden of explicit schedule handling.
• The new tools expand AMD’s robust line of developer solutions that are publicly available on the AMD Developer Central website, including software development kits, libraries, compilers, webinars and educational support. In addition, developers will be able to learn more about AMD’s comprehensive set of software tools and solutions at the AMD Fusion Developer Summit taking place this week in Bellevue, Washington. Summit participants will be able to engage in interactive sessions and hands-on labs to deepen their knowledge of advanced CPU and GPU programmability.

Resources

• View five-part OpenCL training video series on YouTube
• Visit AMD Developer Central
• For more details on gDEBugger
• View keynote webcasts from the AMD Fusion Developer Summit
• Read more about Multicoreware tools
• Multicoreware technical sessions at AMD Fusion Developer Summit
• Follow AMD updates on Twitter at @AMDSoftware
• Learn more about AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs)

AMD Launches Contest for Developers to Create Heterogeneous Compute Applications [June 15, 2011]

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the AMD OpenCL™ Coding Competition, being run by software development leader TopCoder. This contest is intended to encourage the creation of applications that take advantage of OpenCL™ as well as the award-winning AMD Fusion accelerated processing unit (APU) architecture. The OpenCL™ Coding Competition is open to software developers with great ideas, and up to $50,000 in prizes will be awarded to winning submissions.

“We’re at an inflection point in the computing industry with evolving chip architectures and the shift to common programming interfaces and industry standards, which enable developers to enable amazing new experiences,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “The OpenCL Coding Competition is just the beginning of a new wave of application development by the software community as they embrace heterogeneous computing across multiple platforms.”

AMD Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) technology (formerly ATI Stream) is a set of advanced hardware and software technologies that support OpenCL and enable highly parallel compute-capable GPUs to work in concert with a system’s CPU to accelerate applications beyond traditional x86 graphics and video processing. AMD Fusion APUs combine multi-core x86 technology with a discrete-level DirectX® 11-capable GPU in a single processor design, connected by a high speed link, to deliver up to 500 gigaflops of compute performance.¹

Developers and students who choose to participate will be asked to submit an abstract that outlines how they plan to use the latest generation AMD APP software development kit (SDK) with OpenCL support to create an accelerated application for the AMD Fusion APU platforms.

Contestants can choose to create an application in any category including, but not limited to, the following:

• Video Processing
• Image Processing
• Security
• Human Computer Interface
• Data Mining
• Gaming
• Physics processing
• Social Networking / Communication
• Other

“We see APU architecture continuing to be widely adopted for new computing designs, and believe that developers will want to build and optimize their applications around the high performance achieved with these new hardware platforms,” said Matt Murphy, TopCoder platform manager. “This technology shift signifies a sizeable opportunity for developers around the world who want to be early to embrace a new era of heterogeneous computing.”

In addition to the SDK, contestants will need the latest AMD Catalyst™ drivers that include the OpenCL runtime compiler. Released in May 2011, the latest AMD Catalyst drivers for Windows and Linux also bring new features, including expanded support for multi-display environments through AMD Eyefinity technology, which developers can leverage to create even more immersive experiences for end users.

For full details and a complete set of Official Rules for the AMD OpenCL™ Coding Competition, please visit http://community.topcoder.com/amdapp/

Resources

• To download the latest AMD APP SDK, visit the AMD Developer page
• Visit the AMD Catalyst download page to download the latest driver and access more information on new features
• Visit the OpenCL Zone to learn about OpenCL programming
• Follow AMD updates on Twitter at @AMDSoftware
• Learn more about Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) technology from AMD
• Read full contest rules from TopCoder

AMD and Academic Experts Collaborate with Morgan Kaufmann Publishers on OpenCL™ Book [June 15, 2011]

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced its   collaboration on a new book for developers, Heterogeneous Computing with OpenCL, to be published by Morgan Kaufmann, an imprint of Elsevier Science & Technology Books. The book provides hands-on OpenCL™ experience and details multiple device architectures and application programming interfaces (APIs), from multi-core CPUs, GPUs and fully integrated Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) like AMD Fusion APU technology, to fundamental parallel algorithms.

“This book is just one more example of how AMD enables the university and the developer communities with information and tools they need to embrace OpenCL and other common platforms,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “The continued adoption of OpenCL will significantly expand the possibilities for software vendors and developers leading to a wide array of innovative applications and new experiences that benefit from massively parallel processing. There is a resultant need for education and training of the university community which this book will meet.”

“We are seeing increasing demand for reference resources about common APIs,” said Todd Green, senior acquisitions editor of Morgan Kaufmann. “Application development across the PC, tablet and smartphone markets are red hot in terms of reader interest. We thank AMD and Northeastern University for shedding light on the common platforms and parallel computing movement; it’s a must-read book for every developer.”

The book was co-authored by several industry and academic leaders from AMD and Northeastern University, including:

• Benedict Gaster, OpenCL architect, AMD
• Lee Howes, member of technical staff, AMD
• David R. Kaeli, director of the Northeastern University Computer Architecture Research Laboratory (NUCAR), co-leader of the Northeastern University Institute for Information Assurance (IIA) and associate dean of Undergraduate Programs in the College of Engineering at Northeastern University
• Perhaad Mistry, Ph.D Student, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University
• Dana Schaa, Ph.D Student, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University

Heterogeneous Computing with OpenCL is expected to be available in print and electronic formats in August 2011 from many major booksellers. The book provides detailed examples that illustrate the power and elegance of OpenCL to handle image processing, web plugins, random number generation, video processing and more.

Resources

• Pre-order your copy of Heterogeneous Computing with OpenCL
• View five-part OpenCL training video series on YouTube
• Visit AMD Developer Central
• Learn more about the AMD Fusion Developer Summit
• Follow AMD updates on Twitter at @AMDSoftware
• Follow Morgan Kaufmann updates on Twitter at @Morgan_Kaufmann
• Learn more about AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs)

Hardware and Software Leaders Fulfill Promise of Brilliant Experiences and New PC Capabilities with AMD A-Series APU Technology [June 14, 2011]

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced growing support for the AMD Fusion Family of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) with more than 50 leading applications now accelerated by AMD Fusion APUs. With today’s launch of the new AMD A-Series APUs, AMD unleashes unprecedented levels of performance in mobile and small form factors, with outstanding battery life. From software vendors and developers to motherboard suppliers, AMD’s APU ecosystem is basing hardware and software development on the new AMD A-Series APUs to help bring innovative new devices and applications to market. The APU is enabling new user experiences, for example, making video more life-like and enabling notebooks to achieve “supercomputer-like” performance.

“AMD’s APU architecture gives developers a new set of tools with which they can build exciting applications,” said Nathan Brookwood, research fellow at Insight 64. “Developers who best exploit these new capabilities will help position their organizations for dramatic success.”

“Our developer community is embracing the AMD Fusion APU platform with wonderful creativity and initiative,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “We’re only at the beginning of a wave of innovation that’s powered by our APU technology. With forward thinking from leading software developers and device manufacturers, we are creating the next generation of computing experiences.”

New, Differentiated Applications

Dozens of today’s most popular software applications are accelerated by AMD APU technology, many of which are being showcased this week at the AMD Fusion Developer Summit in Bellevue, Washington. These applications span a wide range of PC and tablet user scenarios, including multimedia, gaming, productivity, web browsing, facial recognition, video conferencing and more.

Following is a sample of leading software and online content providers offering vivid computing experiences that are accelerated by AMD A-Series APUs:

• ArcSoft
• BaoFeng
• Corel
• CyberLink
• DailyMotion
• Microsoft
• MotionDSP
• Sony
• Unlimited Realities
• Viewdle
• ViVu
• VUDU

“Our customers expect the ultimate viewing experience from their Storm media player,” said Tom Yang, chief technology officer, BaoFeng, Inc. “We optimized our application with AMD Fusion APU technology to continue to deliver outstanding performance. Now, hundreds of millions of users receive just that – clear, smooth and incredibly vivid video from BaoFeng, a leading high-definition media player company in China with 180M users.”

Industry-Leading Infrastructure Partners

AMD motherboard partners are also continuing to innovate around AMD Fusion APUs, as leading original design manufacturers (ODMs), including ASUS, ASRock, Biostar, ECS, Foxconn (Hong Hai Precision), Gigabyte, Jetway, MSI and Sapphire, are either shipping or have announced integrated APU/motherboard products featuring AMD Fusion technology.

AMD Vision Engine Software

AMD VISION Engine Software uniquely differentiates AMD APU-based PCs. This exclusive software suite includes the AMD software driver that controls graphics and display, the AMD Vision Engine Control Center, and an OpenCL driver. AMD Vision Engine offers graphics and video features enabling DirectX11 gaming, dynamic contrast, edge enhancement and vibrant colors to help videos and visuals look more life-like. This software set also includes AMD Steady Video, enabling advanced image post processing technology to help stabilize shaky images during real-time playback of streaming videos¹.

Resources

• Visit AMD Developer Central
• Check out the AMD Fusion Partner Program Homepage
• View keynote webcasts from the AMD Fusion Developer Summit
• View AMD Fusion Cool App Showcase
• Follow AMD updates on Twitter at @AMDSoftware
• Learn more about AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs)

AMD Celebrates Innovation with VISIONary of the Year Award Winners [June 14, 2011]

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the AMD OpenCL™ Coding Competition, being run by software development leader TopCoder. This contest is intended to encourage the creation of applications that take advantage of OpenCL™ as well as the award-winning AMD Fusion accelerated processing unit (APU) architecture. The OpenCL™ Coding Competition is open to software developers with great ideas, and up to $50,000 in prizes will be awarded to winning submissions.

“We’re at an inflection point in the computing industry with evolving chip architectures and the shift to common programming interfaces and industry standards, which enable developers to enable amazing new experiences,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “The OpenCL Coding Competition is just the beginning of a new wave of application development by the software community as they embrace heterogeneous computing across multiple platforms.”

AMD Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) technology (formerly ATI Stream) is a set of advanced hardware and software technologies that support OpenCL and enable highly parallel compute-capable GPUs to work in concert with a system’s CPU to accelerate applications beyond traditional x86 graphics and video processing. AMD Fusion APUs combine multi-core x86 technology with a discrete-level DirectX® 11-capable GPU in a single processor design, connected by a high speed link, to deliver up to 500 gigaflops of compute performance.¹

Developers and students who choose to participate will be asked to submit an abstract that outlines how they plan to use the latest generation AMD APP software development kit (SDK) with OpenCL support to create an accelerated application for the AMD Fusion APU platforms.

Contestants can choose to create an application in any category including, but not limited to, the following:

• Video Processing
• Image Processing
• Security
• Human Computer Interface
• Data Mining
• Gaming
• Physics processing
• Social Networking / Communication
• Other

“We see APU architecture continuing to be widely adopted for new computing designs, and believe that developers will want to build and optimize their applications around the high performance achieved with these new hardware platforms,” said Matt Murphy, TopCoder platform manager. “This technology shift signifies a sizeable opportunity for developers around the world who want to be early to embrace a new era of heterogeneous computing.”

In addition to the SDK, contestants will need the latest AMD Catalyst™ drivers that include the OpenCL runtime compiler. Released in May 2011, the latest AMD Catalyst drivers for Windows and Linux also bring new features, including expanded support for multi-display environments through AMD Eyefinity technology, which developers can leverage to create even more immersive experiences for end users.

For full details and a complete set of Official Rules for the AMD OpenCL™ Coding Competition, please visit http://community.topcoder.com/amdapp/

Resources

• To download the latest AMD APP SDK, visit the AMD Developer page
• Visit the AMD Catalyst download page to download the latest driver and access more information on new features
• Visit the OpenCL Zone to learn about OpenCL programming
• Follow AMD updates on Twitter at @AMDSoftware
• Learn more about Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) technology from AMD
• Read full contest rules from TopCoder

AMD and Leading Software Vendors Continue to Expand Offerings Optimized for OpenCL™ Standard  [June 8, 2011]

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced increasing industry adoption of the OpenCL™ standard across a broad range of innovative software applications. As a long-standing proponent of industry standards, AMD works closely with leading software companies to help optimize their applications across common platforms, while accelerating these solutions with the latest technology offerings, including AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs).

“Software developers can benefit significantly from working with common programming interfaces to harness the outstanding performance of innovative, heterogeneous technology like AMD Fusion APUs across platforms,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “The software industry continues to advance at breakneck speed with an ever increasing number of innovative applications that are coming to market, which are based on common platforms such as OpenCL, OpenGL and DirectCompute.”

As software developers embrace common application programming interfaces (APIs), the industry is seeing a groundswell of consumer and commercial applications built on the OpenCL standard, thanks to its inherent flexibility across platforms, operating systems and vendor hardware.

“Today’s creative professional needs a complete solution that delivers clear, crisp and stutter-free visuals that will allow them to edit, process and create content quickly and without interruption,” said Dave Chaimson, vice president of global marketing, Sony Creative Software. “New support has been added to Vegas Pro 10.0d for accelerated OpenCL based video rendering. We see this as a solid first step towards a faster production workflow for video professionals, and we are strongly committed to the OpenCL standard.”

HP Labs also is working with AMD to implement OpenCL acceleration of real-time imaging software for HP large-format, commercial and industrial printing solutions. “Innovative, leading-edge technology is key to providing the best possible support to HP’s commercial printing customers,” said I-Jong Lin, principal scientist, Print and Content Delivery, HP Corporate Research Laboratory. “The application of GPU acceleration in raster image processing has enabled a breakthrough in commercial printing solutions, and we anticipate replicating that success across market segments by porting our OpenPL library to OpenCL standards.”

Following is a sample of leading applications that already support OpenCL or will support it in the near future:

DVD/Media Players

• ArcSoft, TotalMedia® Theatre – All-in-one video playback software
• Corel WinDVD® – Blu-ray™ and DVD player software

Telepresence and Webcam Apps

• ArcSoft, Webcam Companion® – Application bundle with HD and 3D support for web cameras
• ViVu VuRoom – Multi-party desktop videoconferencing software
• ViVu VuCast – Large-scale video webcast software

Video Creation/Editing Software

• ArcSoft, ShowBiz® – Video editing software
• Corel Digital Studio™ – integrated multimedia software suite
• Corel VideoStudio® Pro – HD video-editing software
• Cyberlink PowerDirector – Video editing software
• Sony, Vegas Movie Studio HD – Home studio solutions for HD video editing
• Sony, Vegas Pro – Professional solutions for HD video, audio and Blu-ray™ Disc creation

Video, Photo Effects, Imaging and Utilities

• ArcSoft, Panorama Maker Pro – Photo and video stitch plus media manager
• eyeon, Fusion® – Visual effects and compositing tool
• HP Labs, “Every Page Is Different” raster image processing and giga-pixel real-time imaging for HP large-format, commercial and industrial printing solutions
• Viewdle, Uploader® – Facial recognition software for photography formats
• Viewdle, Video SDK – Facial recognition software kit for video development

Video Transcode Software

• ArcSoft, MediaConverter – Multimedia file converter
• Rovi, MainConcept® Transcoding Platform – Professional transcoding applications
• Rovi, MainConcept® H.264/AVC OpenCL – Encoding Software Development Kit

Engineering Simulation Software

• Altair Engineering, HyperWorks RADIOSS – Finite element analysis (FEA) solver for linear and non-linear simulations
• Dassault Systemes, PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) – Simulation and CAD software
• DEM Solutions, EDEM – Discrete element modeling software solutions for particle flow simulation
• ESI Group, PAM-CRASH and PAM-STAMP 2G solvers – Digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes
• MSC Software, MSC Nastran – General purpose finite element analysis solution
• OPTIS, RTLab and VRLab – Real-time ray-tracing software solutions

A sampling of these applications will be demonstrated in the Experience Zone at the AMD Fusion Developer Summit to take place June 13-16 in Bellevue, Washington. Summit participants will be able to engage in interactive sessions and hands-on labs to deepen their knowledge of advanced CPU and GPU programmability, and gain a better understanding of how software applications can take full advantage of the parallel processing power of APUs, bringing supercomputer-like performance to everyday computing tasks.

Resources

• View five-part OpenCL training video series on YouTube
• Visit AMD Developer Central
• Register to attend the AMD Fusion Developer Summit
• Follow AMD updates on Twitter at @AMDSoftware
• Learn more about AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs)

AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units Win 2011 Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI Award [May 24, 2011]

MD (NYSE: AMD) is awarded today with the highest industry honor, “2011 Best Choice of Computex TAIPEI Award” for its Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) in the Computer & System category. The award is given by Taipei Computer Association, key player in IT industry and exhibition in Taiwan, and appraised by a panel of government representatives, academicians, research analysts, oversea media, editor-in-chiefs and industry experts.

AMD Fusion APUs offer a brand-new approach to processor design and better address users’ needs to handle more demanding workloads and visual computing in a small form factor device with long battery life. Only AMD Fusion APUs are engineered to deliver powerful CPU and GPU compute capabilities in a single-die processor for today’s HD video, 3D and data-intensive workloads for anyone looking for a richer visual computing experience whenever, wherever they want.

“We are honored to receive this prestigious award from the Taipei Computer Association, which is a manifestation of our efforts and excellence in AMD Fusion APUs,” said Andy Tseng, AMD Corporate Vice President and Taiwan General Manager. “AMD Fusion APUs are already widely recognized within the industry for being creative and innovative. This award proves the importance of listening to our customers and designing breakthrough products around their needs.”

Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI Award has recognized achievements in product design and technology innovation since 2002; it’s one of the important official events during COMPUTEX TAIPEI, the second largest ICT exhibition worldwide. Through reviews, the jury selected outstanding design and cutting-edge technology across 10 product categories.

AMD and other awarded products will be demonstrated at Best Choice Award Pavilion by Taipei Computer Association at the upcoming 2011 Computex Exhibition. In addition, AMD’s products showcase will be located at Booth# L0617 in the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall. For more information on AMD 2011 Computex, please visit our event portal.

For developers interested in learning more about APUs and heterogeneous computing, AMD will be holding its first AMD Fusion Developer Summit (AFDS) from June 13-16 in Bellevue, Washington. Summit participants will be able to engage in interactive sessions and hands-on labs to deepen their knowledge of advanced CPU and GPU programmability, and gain a better understanding of how software applications can take full advantage of the parallel processing power of APUs, bringing supercomputer-like performance to everyday computing tasks.

Additional Resources

• AMD 2011 Computex event portal
• Visit the AMD Fusion website for more information about AMD Fusion APUs
• Read about recent AMD Fusion news at http://blogs.amd.com/fusion/
• Check out demos of AMD Fusion APUs on the AMD Unprocessed YouTube Channel
• Follow all news from the AMD on Twitter at @AMD_Unprocessed
• More information on 2011 Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI Award is available here

AMD Fusion APU Receives “Best in Show” Award at Embedded Systems Conference [May 11, 2011]

AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced the AMD Embedded G-Series APU was named “Best in Show” for hardware at the Embedded Systems Conference by the industry analyst firm VDC Research, which has been presenting the Embeddy Awards at ESC for seven years running. The primary criteria for the hardware category are an enabling product that offers new innovation and new or significantly better functionality.

“We selected the AMD Embedded G-Series processor because it is an integrated circuit that combines a low-power CPU and a discrete-level GPU into a single embedded Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) for advanced graphics and multi-media integration,” said Richard Dean, program manager, VDC Research. “Among the benefits are the integration of the APU, which reduces the foot print size of a three-chip platform to two chips, and the overall reduction in costs across the product’s lifecycle.”

“Embedded Systems Conference showcases the best of the best in our industry and it’s very gratifying that a product we feel can change the dynamics of the industry has been recognized as the top hardware product this year,” said Buddy Broeker, director, Embedded Solutions, AMD. “The AMD Embedded G-Series platform represents a major advancement for the capabilities of embedded systems and yet still enables reduction of the key thresholds of power, area and costs. This is a trend that AMD expects to continue in the years to come.”

AMD is the only company in the industry today providing a complete roster of CPUs, chipsets, discrete GPUs, and APUs with the features and support to meet embedded system requirements.

Additional Resources

• Read about a variety of embedded industry topics on the AMD@Work/Embedded blog
• www.amd.com/embedded
• Develop and design with AMD Embedded Solutions
• Register for the AMD Fusion Developer Summit
• Learn about the OpenCL™ programming standard for heterogeneous systems

New AMD Embedded G-Series APUs Provide Thirty Nine Percent Power Reduction for Fanless Designs [May 23, 2011] (emphasis is mine)

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced immediate availability of two new AMD Embedded G-Series APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) with thermal design power (TDP) ratings of 5.5 and 6.4 watts, up to a 39 percent power savings compared to earlier versions¹. The very low power consumption and small 361mm² package is ideal for compact, fanless embedded systems like digital signage, kiosks, mobile industrial devices and many of the new emerging industry-standard small form factors such as Qseven. This is an unprecedented low-power offering for the embedded market that features one or two low-power x86 “Bobcat” CPU cores and a discreet class DirectX® 11-capable GPU on a single die.

“We have seen many of our embedded customers deploy fanless systems even with our 15W TDP processors in the past. Today we take the ground-breaking AMD Fusion APU well below 7W TDP and shatter the accepted traditional threshold for across-the-board fanless enablement,” said Buddy Broeker, director, Embedded Solutions, AMD. “System designers can now unleash their creativity without being constrained by heat or size issues.”

A fanless solution is crucial for many small embedded systems where the added cost for an active cooling system can be prohibitive or for environments where silent operation is a key requirement. Additionally, many embedded products are deployed in harsh environmental conditions where the presence of a fan represents a potential failure point for the system. The AMD Embedded G-Series platform provides enterprise-class features and performance with the reliability, cost- and power-efficiencies these systems require.

Systems based on the new low power AMD Embedded G-Series platform include an industrial mobile device from Amtek, a Pico-ITX single board computer from Axiomtek, a Qseven form factor computer-on-module from datakamp, and a fanless digital signage platform from iBASE. Additional customers are expected to bring new products to market in the coming quarters.

Additional Resources:

• AMD@Work/Embedded blog
• Guest blog post from Amtek
• Guest blog post from Axiomtek
• Guest blog post from datakamp
• www.amd.com/embedded
• AMD Embedded Developer Support
• Registration for the AMD Fusion Developer Summit