Atom attached
Intel has combined its second generation Atom CPUs (codenamed Pineview with the GPU integrated into the chip) with the catchily named 82801IR I/O controller to make a new platform designed for home and small office NAS (network attached storage) products.
The two Pineview Atoms designed for nettops - single-core D410 and dual-core D510 - can be incorporated into NAS devices that run on either Windows Home Server or Linux. A bunch of vendors, including LaCie, LG Electronics, QNAP, Synology and Thecus have all vowed to make products based on the platform.
Intel is looking to introduce Atom to more embedded applications as part of its general strategy to move into the ARM-based processor space.
"Today, households and small offices have an ever-increasing number of computers, laptops, netbooks and mobile phones that create and consume digital content," said said Seth Bobroff, GM of Intel's data center group, storage. "This advancement in mobility coupled with the explosive growth of data and media are creating the need for centralized, easy-to-use network storage solutions for the home and small office."
One such product is LG's N4B2 NAS device, which has the D510 in it. "Network-attached storage has become more than just a fancy disk drive," said Dong-Keun Lee, VP of the DS Division at LG Electronics. "It is now a secure, redundant vault for your irreplaceable photos, songs and documents. With the innovative, fast data processing features of N4B2, we are emerging as a leader in this segment."
