Intel has become intensely popular that it has been commonly mistaken as a PC brand. Generally, when people say Intel computers, what they really are referring to are Intel-branded computers. For several years or even decades now, since Intel has been launched on the market, when people think of Intel they mistakenly imagine a computer brand. So what does Intel computer really mean? Has anyone actually seen an Intel-branded computer? For sure, nobody has seen one yet. What most individuals actually see is a sticker outside CPUs that says “Intel Inside.” What do the sticker sign really mean?

The Famous “Intel Inside” Sticker

Ever since the advent of personal computers, the Intel micro-processor has been used on almost all known computer brands on the market. Naturally, since the name Intel is seen in almost any computer, the phrase ‘Intel computers' stuck in a mind of computer and non-computer users alike.

This is especially true when a couple of years ago, Intel launched a product called Centrino. Everybody, especially all the tech personal out there, were all excited over this new product. But for the non-technology savvy and non-computer users, it was common misconception that Centrino was a tag name of a laptop. Centrino to them was a notebook that was super fast, super-reliable and had super-sleek design. But much to their disappointment, Centrino is not at all a computer or a notebook. Centrino is the Intel processor that runs inside the notebook or computer.

What's Really Inside?

So basically, the real product of Intel is not the whole computer set itself. There is no such thing as Intel computers as popularly misinterpreted by most consumers.The real product of Intel is the microprocessor that runs “inside” the computer.

The misconception is also understandable since the processor is considered the brains of the computer. The performance of the computer generally comes down to the performance of its processor, thus the analogy: computer-processor-Intel. Therefore, there really is no surprise to this misconception and people don't even seem to mind correcting it. Even Intel doesn't mind; they greatly benefit from this misconception. New computer users would naturally want nothing more than to have an Intel computer.

What really fortified the popular belief about Intel computers as a computer brand is the amount of recognition that Intel has earned throughout the years as the leading microprocessor manufacturer. Their recognition and popularity is basically backed by its high-end performance. Current Intel processors run at an impressively clock speed of equal to or more than 3.0 GHz. Intel processors are also the best in power and energy efficiency, keeping noise level down and heat production/control. Moreover, the promotion and marketing strategy of Intel may have also contributed to the popular misconception.

What this all really means is that at this period of the Information Age, Intel so far is the most valued processor in the market. They are not the only processors in the market and may not have always been the market leader particularly considering the performance of its rival AMD Athlon. Yes, there have been several times when the rival has been able to launch a product that outperformed Intel's, but, Intel has always managed to climb back. Therefore, due to the integrity, reliability and effectiveness of its main product – the processor – Intel has earned a brand name synonymous with everything that is computers.