While laptops are great for working on the go and saving space, their tendency to transform into little more than glorified, oversized paperweights after becoming obsolete has always been a problem. Intel is looking to put a stop to that by pushing an initiative to make notebook computer components more interchangeable and upgradeable.
Appropriately titled the Interchangeability Initiative, Intel aims to make the building blocks for laptop computers as standardized as current desktop PC form factors are today. Desktop users commonly swap out processors, graphics cards, motherboards, and an array of other components to keep up with the latest games and software applications. If Intel has its way, in a few years we"ll see the same abilities in laptop and notebook PCs.
Intel has identified seven major component groups - the hard disk, optical drives, LCD panel, battery pack, customized notebook panel, power adapters, and keyboards - that can be added on to standard building blocks to make them interchangeable and upgradeable, the company announced at its Intel Solutions Summit partner conference a few weeks ago.
Three ODMs (Original Device Manufacturers), Asus, Compal, and Quanta, which make a great number of laptops from a for wide array of brands, are being assisted by Intel in developing 11 components based on the seven component categories. The company is also urging OEMs and system builders to begin designing interchangeable systems. The systems would be certified by Intel.
Intel expects the initiative to take three to five years.