Is the processor speed race nearing an end?

Today, Intel announced plans to build a new line of processors designed to work smart rather than hard. The new processors are being designed with energy efficiency in mind and will shift the focus of Intel's engineers from raw speed to multicore computing. Intel plans to sell the chips in the second half of 2006 and offer them in three flavors: a desktop chip, currently code named Conroe; a laptop chip, code named Merom; and a server chip, code named Woodcrest. The new processors promise dramatic changes in mobile computing. Current Pentium M processors, common in laptops, consume 22 Watts. The Pentium M's successor, Merom, will run on a mere 5 Watts. Mileage will vary, but the difference will translate into substantially increased battery life for portable computers and significantly reduced power consumption for desktops and servers.