Intel Wi-Fi 802.11a/b Chips Ready
Intel finally is ready to ship a combination 802.11a/b part, which will use Intel silicon for the ‘a’, and Phillips for the ‘b’. Analysts are noting that the twice delayed chip is outclassed even as it’s launched, since Broadcom and TI already have a/b available in a single chip solution, which is cheaper to produce, smaller, and consumes less power. Intel downplays the significance of this: President Paul Otellini says these chips are commodity products. Uhhh…my understanding of a commodity is a product anyone can make. If Intel cannot make a single chip solution, then that is a differentiator for Broadcom and TI, and NOT a commodity.
