Intel may offer Apple and other customers interested in ultra-portable devices some expanded options thanks to the company's official launch of an all-in-one processor as well as a dual-core version of its Atom processor.

On Thursday, the semiconductor firm revealed its EP80579 Integrated Processor as its first chip to build in every feature of a mobile chipset into one package.

According the AppleInsider, while the company's earlier technology demanded both a discrete processor as well as separate chipsets for video or interfacing with peripheral devices, the Integrated Processor includes all of this in a single component. The unit itself is relatively speedy with a Pentium M unit as its processor equipped with a recent graphics core capable of drawing pixel effects seen in software in recent years.

Though fast for a system-on-a-chip device, the unit is small and thrifty where power usage is concerned. Compared to a normal system, which would require four chips to achieve the same effect, the Integrated Processor's mainboard takes up about 45% less space and uses 34% less power, requiring only 11 watts for the entire design.

In contrast to Atom, which in its present incarnation is too large for most small devices, the Integrated Chip design is expressly meant for the embedded market and runs at speeds which peak at 1.2GHz. That can include commercial and industrial applications but is also tailored for Mobile Internet Devices that double as portable media players and Internet communicators.

Though no guarantees can be offered at this point as to whether this will be useful for Apple's product line (the power use is too high for an iPhone-sized device and the performance is too low for a current Apple notebook), the device could be useful in set-top boxes. The unit currently shares the same processor core as the Apple TV, which uses an under-clocked Pentium M processor with a basic dedicated graphics chipset to allow for 720 HD video playback.

Another choice that may be on the horizon for Apple and has just been leaked is a rumor that Intel will unveil a 1.6 GHz, dual-core variant of the Atom processor on September 21st. The processor will probably be too power-hungry for Apple's planned multi-touch tablet, which is rumored to consume eight watts of power, but could find a home in Apple's low-budget notebooks with a price of only US$43 per chip in large batches.

Like the single-core Atom processor already on sale, the dual-core model will use the same Hyperthreading technology that first appeared in the Pentium 4 to mirror some of the performance that would normally come from an additional real-world core.

Stay tuned for more news as it becomes available and let us know what you think over in the comments or forums.