PDA CPUs

PDA CPUs
There was a time when nobody paid attention to PDA processors, in part because they were fairly low powered to conserve battery life, and also in part because they are embedded. In other words, you can't upgrade or replace them the way you might be able to swap out a chip on a PC motherboard. But the mobile CPU business has become more competitive, thanks in no small part to Intel's entry into the market (Intel sold its handheld chip business to Marvell several months ago). PDA vendors have begun to promote the chips that power their handhelds--and savvy buyers know that a powerful chip can make for snappy performance in a high-end device.

Intel's XScale ARM processors have been upping the ante in this arena. The latest processors--the PXA27x family, previously code-named Bulverde--can run at up to 624 MHz and are available either with or without integrated memory. Texas Instruments and Samsung also compete in the PDA processor market, with TI focusing primarily on connected devices. Following its acquisition of Intel's handheld processor unit, Marvell (previously best known as a Wi-Fi chip maker), is expected to compete vigorously as well.

from http://tech.msn.com/products/article.aspx?cp-documentid=2746114&page=2