Microprocessor manufacturing companies have started to understand the possibilities that the new growing market for mobile internet devices, also known as MIDs, offers for them. After the enormous success of devices like the iPhone or other smart phones, Intel, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments, among others, have launched in what can be considered a race of developing the best microprocessors dedicated for these gadgets.

Last one to join the race so far seems to be nVIDIA. The company has announced the release of a chip that combines a number of dedicated processors on the same piece of silicon. The new Tegra 600 series, crams together a ARM central processor, a high definition video processor, an audio processor and a imaging processor. Forbes quoted Mike Rayfield, the general manager of the nVIDIA mobile department, saying that the processor is “a complete computer on a single chip.”

The Tegra series are supposedly capable of playing 26 hours of high definition video content with only one battery recharge, compared to Intel’s Atom processors which drain battery in four to six hours.

However, Intel says that its processor is superior to the competition because of the fact that the entire internet surfing phenomenon was built around its chips, even before the mobile internet devices existed, and that Atom is the only processor on the market to enable a true browsing experience.

As far as market share is concerned, it seems that Intel’s Atom will be the core component of 30 MIDs, Texas Instruments has been chosen for about 40 such device, while Qualcomm will offer processing power for 15 MIDs.