Intel's Rich Creek 2 To Debut In Laptops Next Week

Maser says Rich Creek 2 marks a turning point in what has been a multi-year effort by Intel to try to provide system builders with standards-based ingredients to compete more ferociously against giant computer manufacturers in the fast growing notebook segment.

"We are at a key defining moment where Intel is putting their muscle behind a (build to order notebook mobile motherboard)," said Maser. "I think we could see growth similar to what we experienced with the desktop in the mid-90s and servers in early 2000." He said the $160 million Seneca only captured three percent of its total sales from notebooks last year. That should shoot up to 7 percent of total sales by the end of this year as a result of Rich Creek 2, said Maser. "If we could get that to 20 percent of the business in three years we'd be in real good shape," he said.

Up until now, many system builders have opted to stay out of the custom notebook market because they lacked the standards-based ingredients to compete effectively against large computer makers. Many have complanied that there simply is not the same robust ecosystem to allow them to innovate against computer giants.

Maser, for his part, sees that changing with Rich Creek 2. He predicts that system builders will now be able to provide $800 to $1,000 business notebook with a three-year-warranty that packs more bang for the buck than those offered by larger players like Dell.

The serviceability benefits of the Rich Creek 2 mobile motherboard are "huge" for system builders, said Maser. "It's an Intel board," he said, noting it provides the flexibility that allows system builders to immediately swap out a board. That has not been the case with the current crop of motherboard options for whitebook builders. He said it could take days or even weeks to get a mother board replacement.

Maser said the system builder community needs to rise to the Rich Creek 2 occasion and start aggressively selling innovative, powerful business class notebooks rather than sub-$500 consumer class notebooks. "We need to sell our integration, service, support, installation, customization and value-added competence," he said. "We need to embrace that on the notebook side and not roll over and play dead. Don't automatically assume you can't compete!"

"The overall VAR community needs to go out and embrace these custom, build to order notebooks so we can own the entire business," said Maser.