Intel formally launched its much-heralded Centrino
mobile technology yesterday, and top-tier notebook manufacturers
showcased products equipped with the new chip set, which features a
five-hour battery life and built-in Wi-Fi capability.
The Centrino consists of a low-power-drain Pentium-M chip set
and a PRO/Wireless mini-Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
card that handles Wi-Fi connectivity. Intel will offer four
standard versions of the Pentium-M running at speeds of 1.6, 1.5,
1.4 and 1.3 GHz. Intel is also offering a low-voltage version that
runs at 1.1 GHz and an ultralow-voltage chip running at 900
MHz.
Intel claimed the Pentium-M offers a 13% to 15% improvement in
performance over the earlier 2.4-GHz Pentium 4-M. The 1.6-GHz
Pentium M also offers 76% longer battery life than the 2.4-GHz
model.
IBM's Centrino-powered notebook ThinkPad 40 is a 4.5-lb. machine
with double the battery life of older models, 5.5 hours vs. 2.8.
IBM will offer customers the option of using either Intel's
built-in Wi-Fi mini-PCI card or a dual-band 802.11a and 802.11b
module. Prices for the new ThinkPad 40 start at $1,999
(£1,240).
Hewlett Packard's notebook, the Compaq Evo N620c, is equipped
with Centrino technology which, HP claimed, would deliver 70%
better battery life than previous models. Pricing starts at
$1,799.
Dell Computer added a Centrino-powered notebook to its Inspiron
line, which targets small and medium-sized businesses. Prices for
Centrino Inspiron notebooks start at $1,399.
Other hardware companies introducing Centrino-equipped notebooks
included Toshiba, which unveiled five models with prices starting
at $1,999, and Sony, with a new Vaio model priced at $2,200.
IDC analyst Keith Waryas said he expected that within the next
year, "practically every notebook shipped will come equipped with
Centrino".
Intel has touted the Wi-Fi capabilities of its Centrino
architecture - and backed this with partnerships with Wi-Fi
public-access networks and operators.
But competitors pointed out that the Centrino with built-in
Wi-Fi can access only mature 802.11b wireless networks that operate
in the 2.4-GHz band and have a raw data rate of 11M bit/sec. The
Centrino does not incorporate the Wi-Fi 802.11a or the 802.11g
standard, both of which provide 54M bit/sec. data speeds (in the 5-
and 2.4-GHz bands, respectively).
Rich Redelfs, president and chief executive of Atheros
Communications, a wireless Lan chip manufacturer, said that
notebook manufacturers have the option of using the Pentium-M
processor that is at the heart of the Centrino technology with
Atheros 802.11a/b Wlan chip sets today and a 802.11g or combined
802.11a/b/g chip sets in the near future.
Major hardware manufacturers that have signed up to use the
Atheros 802.11 chip sets include HP, IBM, Toshiba and NEC. But
Intel - which has backed the Centrino launch with a $300m
advertising campaign - will not allow manufacturers to slap on a
"Centrino Compatible" logo unless they incorporate both the
Pentium-M processor and its Wi-Fi module.
Analysts expected Intel to incorporate all three Wi-Fi standards
into the Centrino architecture eventually, and view it as the
beginning of the end of outboard Wi-Fi packaged in a PC card.