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VIA looks to be counting down to launch of Atom competitor
Return of quad-core, low-power, Isaiah prophesied
It's easy to forget that Taiwanese outfit Via is the world's third maker of x86 CPUs, because the company only ever won a tiny slice of the market and hasn't released anything new for ages.
But the company looks to be stirring. Back in July, rumours circulated of an update to the company's Isaiah CPUs after Via reportedly mentioned new product at the InfoComm 2014 trade show. A test of what looks like a new Via processor has since popped up on Siosoftware.
Another clue that something is afoot may well be the countdown clock on Centtech.com, the website of Via's CPU subsidiary Centaur Technology.
Rumours suggest the new Isaiah is a quad-core, very low power CPU it is hoped will compete with Intel's Atom in mobile devices.
If those reports are true, Via is probably hoping that Intel's efforts to lure phone and fondleslab manufacturers away from ARM create some competitive tension it can cash in on. There's also increasing demand for low-powered x86s in server-land, as NEC's latest effort attests.
We'll keep an eye on the countdown and if new x86ery emerges, will be sure to let you know. ®