Intel Corp. made it official that the desktop Pentium III processor is being discontinued, with the last orders accepted on Dec. 7.
A company notification to customers said support for desktop Pentium IIIs is already being scaled back and all orders for the chip become noncancellable after Oct. 12.
Analysts have long claimed that the desktop Penitum III will quickly disappear as Intel ramps up the successor Pentium 4 processor this fall. Pentium III continues as a mobile and server processor, and the recently-introduced Tualatin0.13-micron PIII-M mobile chip will come out later this year as part of the desktop Celeron value line.
Intel also said it is discontinuing the 800MHz and 850MHz flip-chip PGA packaged Celeron on the same phaseout timetable as the desktop PIII.
Despite the termination of orders, the desktop Pentium III could stay in production for some months to fulfill the orders placed now.
