Intel Intros Atom Chips

SANTA CLARA, CALIF. — Intel introduced a new family of processors, named Atom, designed specifically for mobile Internet devices.

Atom processors measure 25 nanometers in size and utilize the Intel Core 2 Duo instruction set. Intel noted that 11 Atom processors, each containing 47 million transistors, will fit on a penny. The processors will run in the 0.6- to 2.5-watt range and at speeds up to 1.8GHz.

The mobile Internet devices and other low-cost Internet-centric products, dubbed netbooks, that will use the Atom processors are expected to start hitting stores in the second quarter.