Intel Launches New Laptop Platform

Intel India announced a host of new technologies, including faster Intel Core2 Duo processors, for its latest-generation Intel Centrino processor technology used in laptop PCs for consumers and businesses. More than 230 Intel Centrino Duo and Intel Centrino Pro processor technology-based designs from PC manufacturers, resellers and integrators around the world are expected to take advantage of these and other features this year. Laptops will come in a different shapes and sizes, with designs ranging from fully loaded, 17-inch wide-screen models ideal for entertainment to tiny, energy-saving notebook PCs that weigh less than one and half kilos.

“When we introduced Intel Centrino four years ago, Intel changed the computing landscape with our mobile innovations,” said Ramamurthy Sivakumar, Managing Director, Intel South Asia. “Now, simply said, we have improved virtually all aspects of Intel-based notebooks, the most popular and fastest growing computing market segment in the world.”

The new processor has an increased FSB of 800 MHz as compared 667 MHz for the processors from the earlier platform. The increase in FSB translates into better overall system performance. Additional power management features will enable users to have greater battery life. In addition, the Mobile Intel 965 Express chipset family with Intel Clear Video Technology enables an enhanced high-definition video experience. Users can also share their content with family and friends via TV with Intel TV Wizard, which is a simplified way to connect to HD-enabled TVs. A new suite of drivers delivers better Windows Vista Premium experience featuring Windows Aero.

More from News & Analysis

What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?

Intel’s Next-Gen Wireless-N provides 802.11AGN WLAN capability, delivering up to five times the performance and twice the wireless access range as compared to the existing a/b/g standards. Intel Turbo Memory is an optional feature that can access frequently used software applications twice as fast and reduce the amount of time it takes to turn on, or boot-up, a laptop by as much as 20 percent. In turn, these faster speeds save on power consumption and increase battery life.

This time around Intel has launched two separate platforms for businesses and consumers. Their platform for Business is called as Intel Centrino Pro whereas the consumer one is called as Intel Centrino Duo. The Centrino Pro platform utilizes Intel vPro technology that it earlier used for desktops. IT departments will be able to reliably manage both desktops and laptops and deal with what plagues them most—security threats, cost of ownership, resource allocation, and asset management and do so wirelessly.

One of the key innovations designed in Intel Centrino Pro Intel Active Management Technology provides business-class laptops PCs with wireless PC management, protection and remote repair work thereby increasing productivity, IT savings and uptime.

“Intel’s Centrino Pro processor technology now allows the inherent benefits of Intel vPro processor technology to be implemented in a mobile solution. Built-in features like remote management could potentially reduce infrastructure downtime and cost, in a form factor traditionally harder to keep tabs on due to the portable nature of notebooks,” said Reuben Tan, Research Manager, Personal systems, IDC Asia/Pacific.