AMD executives say they're releasing Turion to help system builders create lighter, smaller and cooler notebooks with longer battery life. Slated to ship in the first half of this year, the platform is aimed at the business traveler, home networks and education. Turion will be wireless-compatible and support robust graphics and enhanced security, said Bahr Mahoney, AMD's division marketing manager for mobile.

"The mobile market has seen tremendous growth because people are using notebooks for a wide range of things, from business to education to digital entertainment," Mahoney said. "We do see the trend for thinner, lighter notebooks."

Still, AMD faces challenges in selling the concept of 64-bit computing to consumers and small businesses, especially in a laptop design. Although Turion runs quieter and cooler than 32-bit platforms--a big factor for home entertainment centers and vertical-market solutions--system builders and integrators say there's not enough customer demand and applications for 64-bit platforms to justify a hard sell.

AMD is working with ODMs to develop lighter, smaller form factors. The chip maker also will provide marketing dollars, development support and other programs to help system builders and integrators drive sales of custom laptops, said Gary Bixler, senior manager of regional marketing for AMD's system builder channel.

"We'll make it as easy as possible for our partners to get [64-bit notebooks] to market and for them to integrate the systems," Bixler said.