The next version of Intel's Centrino platform for
wireless laptops may not enable any significant increase in battery
life on Intel-based notebooks and laptops, the company has
said.
Centrino integrates Intel's processor, chipset and wireless
networking card. The third Centrino platform - called Napa - will
appear in wireless laptops from the first quarter of 2006.
Intel is working towards a target of 2008 to develop a laptop
battery that lasts for eight hours. The Napa platform, which is the
first Centrino platform to feature multicore processors, represents
Intel's latest step towards an eight-hour battery life.
However, Intel confirmed that the forthcoming version of Napa
may not improve on battery life compared to its predecessor.
Intel has a stated strategy to improve the battery life of
mobile computers, but laptop manufacturers have yet to see whether
the Napa platform will improve battery life in their products.
Toshiba product manager Ken Chan said, "We do not know whether
Napa is going to use more or less battery because we have not seen
the models."
All laptops based on the Centrino platform make extensive use of
Intel's Speed Step technology, which enables the processor to slow
down when little demand is placed on it.
To date, the longest battery life achieved by a laptop is about
four hours. Toshiba has developed a technology which it believes
will remove the main problem with limited battery life - the length
of time needed to recharge the battery. The laptop manufacturer can
recharge a notebook battery in one minute, although commercial
application of this technology is at least two to three years away,
said Chan.
What uses all the power?
Chip manufacturer AMD has calculated how much battery life is
used by each laptop component. The figures are an average of all
major Intel and AMD devices.
- Processor 7%-9%
- Graphics and chipset 27%-29%
- Screen (15 inches) 35%
- Drives 27%-31%