Pentium 4 launch looks like Halloween

Intel Corp. may have a Halloween treat for tech trick-or-treaters -- the launch of the Pentium 4 processor for desktop PCs. The chip maker will launch the next-generation processor for desktops in the last week of October, probably Oct. 30, according to industry sources. Some insiders had expected the chip to ship in mid-October. The Pentium 4 is Intel's next-generation desktop processor. The chip, aside from a higher clock speed, will offer a faster system bus, running at 400MHz, and will be paired with dual-channel Rambus direct RAM (RDRAM) memory. Intel is positioning the Pentium 4 as an engine for high-end, multimedia-oriented applications, such as video editing, digital photography and gaming. Intel will offer the chip first at 1.4GHz and 1.5GHz, the sources said. Previously, the chip maker had been expected to ship it at 1.3GHz and 1.4GHz. Intel officials would not confirm the launch plans, saying only that the chip would ship in the fourth quarter.The company is planning a launch event at its Santa Clara, Calif., headquarters.