Intel announced that "Atom" will be the name for a new family of low-power processors designed specifically for mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and a new class of simple and affordable Internet-centric computers arriving later this year. The company also announced the Intel Centrino Atom processor technology brand for MID platforms, consisting of multiple chips that enable the best Internet experience in a pocketable device.
The Intel Atom processor is based on an entirely new microarchitecture designed specifically for small devices and low power, while maintaining the Intel Core 2 Duo instruction set compatibility, stated Intel. The design also includes support for multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness. The processor chip measures less than 25 square millimeters, making it Intel"s smallest and lowest power processor yet. Up to 11 Intel Atom processor dice – the tiny slivers of silicon packed with 47 million transistors each – would fit in an area the size of an American penny.