Intel is expected to cut the prices on the Core Duo mobile microprocessors used in Apple Computer's latest Macintosh systems by the end of May.According to a report in the Tuesday edition of the Chinese-language Commercial Times, the world's largest chip makers plans to reduce the costs of 65-nanometer dual-core chips by as much as 33 percent.
The price of the 2.16GHz Core Duo will reportedly drop from $632 to $423, a reduction of about 33 percent. Meanwhile, the 2.0GHz model will drop in cost from $423 to $294 (30.5 percent), and the 1.83GHz model from $294 to $241 (18 percent).
The price cuts may make way for Intel's 2.33GHz Core Duo processor, dubbed the T2700, to take over the $632 price-point. The chip is expected to debut in the third calendar quarter of the year, about a month or so following the price cuts to the existing Core Duo chips.
The 2.33GHz Core Duo is also believed to be a possible candidate to ship inside Apple's yet-to-be-announced flagship 17-inch MacBook Pro. Sources have said the high-end professional notebook will run at speeds of at least 2.16GHz Core Duo.
Depending on when Apple plans to push the 17-inch MacBook Pro to market, and Intel's availability of the T2700 at that time, the notebook may be one of the first on the market to sport the 2.33GHz chip.