Intels conference call this week featured some elements on the progression of the desktop. Lisa Graff, VP and GM of Intels Desktop Client Platforms Group tells us that while Notebooks outsell Desktops by 57:43, key segments within the Desktop platform are actually growing rapidly – as much as 50% year-on-year for the Tiny PC space such as NUCs but also in the all-in-one market. Desktop is therefore a big part of the market, and this includes business more so than consumer based on shipments. Intel is also keen to point out that 2013 was a record year for i5/i7 shipments. Intel wants to spend 2014 accelerating the AIO side of desktop, grow the tiny PC side, and maximize the enthusiast segment. These all sound like buzz-words, but identifying areas of growth helps keep a business going.

The new feature wrapped around the AIO and Tiny PC segments is called Ready Mode Technology. This is the utilization of low C-states in Haswell CPUs to allow users to continue to use their PCs in non-traditional ways. The examples we were given include instant photograph synchronization when a mobile device enters the home network, or streaming across a network to a portable device such as a smartphone, tablet or portable AIO.