Most Sharkyextreme readers have become very familiar with the standard Intel Slot-1 or SECC format for housing a CPU. Likewise, most readers either currently use, or fondly remember, the days of Socket7 mainboards with their ZIF housings and small pin-ladden CPUs.
The new "S370" version of the Celeron 366 houses the same core as the Slot-1 version of the Celeron 366 CPU. (Intel will manufacture both versions for an undefined length of time, and will then phase the Slot-1 Celeron CPU line completely out). While the core between the two parts is identical, the packaging is radically different. The Socket370 (actually 270 physical pin openings, go figure) architecture was chosen by Intel because is could slice up to 10% off the development cost for an otherwise identical Slot-1 equipped mainboard. It doesn't sound like a significant amount of money, but when you're talking a volume of 100,000 or more mainboards a month, which is what the larger firms currently pump out, then it puts it in perspective.
Paired with the low-cost S370 architecture is the well-traveled and widely recognized Intel 440LX chipset. We couldn't get an exact figure from our contacts as to how much less the 440LX AGPset costs mainboard manufacturers to purchase in bulk than the currently state of the art 440BX AGPset does, but we did get several confirmations of "signifigant savings" repeated to us.
So now we've got a board that's saved money by lopping off the Slot-1 port, throwing on the older 440LX AGPset, and by also skimping on an ISA slot or two (who'll miss 'em eh?) and we're starting to get the picture as to who these parts are really designed for: OEM System Integrators.
