My computer is a little older, but it still runs really well, I have been able to migrate parts from machine to machine, slowly upgrading the slowest part, but Intel’s next processor won’t allow me to bring my hard drives or optical drives with me on my next move, as they are looking to phase out parallel ATA connections for their Core2 Duo processors.

The Broadwater chipset, which will be paired with Intel’s new Core2 Duo processors, eliminates both parallel ATA connections and the IDE interface, which has been traditionally used for both hard drives and optical storage, respectively. An Intel spokeswoman confirmed the change. Sources indicated that motherboard manufacturers could include third-party chips to re-establish the legacy connections. However, Intel will push Serial ATA, a technology initially introduced as an interface for hard drives, as a solution for both storage interfaces, the Intel spokeswoman said.

I still don’t think I am ready to get rid of parallel ATA just yet. I have not seen too many optical drives use the new S-ATA technology, and that worries me. I know though that if Intel makes the push, we can expect to see more optical drives using the technology, but then I have to get new optical drives. There won’t be an upgrade path for me any longer. It will need a totally new system.

I am usually glad to get rid of legacy devices, but this time, I feel a little more annoyed for some reason. Anyone else bothered by this change? Has anyone heard AMD’s plans for a similar push away from PATA?

Related posts:

Intel’s ICH8 to Drop PATA Support
Intel Cutting Up to 10,000 Jobs
Intel ditches Vista for it’s mid-range UMPCs
Intel: A Core New Low
Sonnet Tempo Bridge: Parallel ATA for the G5

Hope you like that post!

Forever Geek is a resource for all things geek. You can stay tuned by having the latest FG news delivered to you for free via RSS.