The launch on Thursday of Intel's Pentium D processor sparked debate among computer makers about what shape next-generation PCs will take.

Gerald Holzhammer, a vice president with Intel's digital home group, said PC makers could use the new dual-core Pentium chips to dream up new forms and functions beyond the standard tower design.

"I won't say it is as exciting as the Internet was about 10 years ago, but it comes pretty close," Holzhammer said during a launch event Thursday.

Holzhammer said 70 percent of Intel's Pentium systems are used in standard box designs, with the next-largest percentage powering laptops. But he noted that there is a small yet growing number of Pentium chips appearing in new categories of machines such as media-center PCs and extreme-gaming devices.