Intel showcases computer with solar-powered processor

Asserting that power innovation would reach unimaginable levels,he said Intel8217;s researchers have created a chip that powers up a computer processor on a solar cell the size of a postage stamp.

The computer had its solar-powered CPU drawing sufficient power to run animation and other Windows-based computing processes from two small overhead reading lamps. However,only the processor was being powered by the lamps and other parts of the computer were powered through a traditional power supply.

Otellini,however,clarified that the solar-powered computer was not yet a planned product and he was only demonstrating the company8217;s efforts to cut down power consumption in computing processes.

Terming the demonstration a lab experiment,he said much more work would be needed to make an entire computer system work on solar power and it was a challenge for the company to figure out how it could take such a system from the laboratory to production lines.

8220;But it shows our direction. A Pentium-class processor running on solar power,that was unheard of even six months ago,8221; he noted.

The Intel engineer that demonstrated the system alongside Otellini said this was a technology that could one day find its way into future 8216;Ultrabooks8217; 8212; which are billed as power-efficient,affordable,sleeker and lighter versions of today8217;s laptops 8212; and a host of other computing devices.

He said that it was an experimental prototype of a microprocessor that could operate at near threshold voltage limits and was still capable of running the Windows operating system.