Intel laptop for the extremely mobile professional

Intel Metro laptopIntel’s Metro laptop concept is causing quite a stir and for good reason. The thing is a svelte 0.7 inches thin and 2.25 pounds, making it the slimmest and one of the lightest portable computers ever conceived. According to this BusinessWeek feature, Intel may produce the machine as early as later this year.

But why would Intel, the processor company, be designing a laptop?

It’s keen to rev up demand for the computers running on its processors. The device might rely on Intel chips not just for computing but also for memory and connecting to wireless networks. The prototype also incorporates technologies developed by companies financed by Intel Capital, the chipmaker’s venture capital arm.

One side of the exterior features an E Ink display, good for showing you the day’s, week’s or month’s calendar or schedule, which is produced by a company partially funded by Intel Capital. The cool thing about the E Ink display is that it works without power. With a target battery life of 14 hours, however, this probably isn’t such a big concern! Now that’s mobility.