With Nokia dropping the MeeGo project, this news indicates more volatility going on within Intel. They just picked up Silicon Hive in an attempt to secure some technology for mobile chipsets. Because Intel’s flagship mobile chip, the Atom just doesn’t cut it in comparison to the ARM based designs (I always liked RISC more in principle anyway) and nVidia’s Tegra 2. It’s not like Intel’s about to drop out of the race, they’ve just obviously had to steer the company in a somewhat different direction than they were headed before the chip market started shifting to mobility as number one.

[via Intel Pressroom]

Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of Ultra Mobility Group (UMG), announced today that he will be leaving Intel to pursue other interests. Effective immediately, Mike Bell vice president of IAG and Dave Whalen vice president of IAG, will co-manage UMG. “Intel remains committed to this business,” said David Perlmutter, executive vice president and Intel Architecture Group general manager. “We continue to make the investments needed to ensure that the best user experience on smartphones and handhelds runs on Intel Architecture, and to ship a phone this year. “We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Anand for numerous contributions to Intel over his 24-year career here, and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

MSI is aiming to ship 15.4- and 17-inch notebooks that revolve around the Core i7 7200M, Core i7 8200M, and the Core i7 920XM CPUs. It’s Intel’s “Calpella” platform that intends to improve upon the company’s current Centrino chipset, and MSI is hoping that the pricing for the upcoming pieces of technology to hit the registers at somewhere between $600 and $900. The upcoming CPUs will offer performance slightly less than the desktop brethren, but will use the same Nehalem architecture.

It’s said that the new Core i7 will improve power management and lessen the temperatures outputted. The aforementioned 15.4- and 17-inch notebooks are set to launch in relation to the release of Windows 7, so if you’re in the market for a new, flashy Operating System and some new hardware, than MSI wants your money. Think it’s enough to earn it?

[via Gizmodo]

There’s also a choice of 160GB 5,400rpm or 250/320GB 7,200rpm hard-drives, a DVD burner and gigabit ethernet, together with WiFi a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1.  A webcam and microphone are integrated into the display bezel, plus there’s a fingerprint reader for security.

The Dell Vostro 1220 is being targeted at small businesses, and will be available in two colors: black or red.  It’ll go on sale in Japan from today, priced from 79,980 yen ($838).

[via Impress]

Both models have 6-cell batteries, which promise up to 4.5hrs of runtime for the Q320 and up to 5hrs for the R522; there’s also a SuperSilent Mode which reduces fan-noise.  No details on specific Core 2 Duo processors, RAM or hard-drives, but we do know the Q320 uses NVIDIA’s GeForce G105M GPU.

The extra chassis space means the Samsung R522 gets four USB 2.0 ports together with a combo USB/eSATA port; the smaller Q320 manages just a single USB 2.0 paired with a combo port.  Both notebooks will arrive in April, prices to be confirmed.

[via Register Hardware]

HP have again enlisted Altec Lansing to provide the audio systems, with both have stereo speakers and the larger HDX18 adding a subwoofer to the mixture.  Onboard Dolby home theater software means either can act as the source in a full media setup, aided by the built-in HD TV tuners.

The HDX18 has dual hard-drives, giving up to a combined 640GB of storage, while the HDX16 has up to 320GB; both laptops use HP’s Protect Smart 3D accelerometer system to monitor for drops or bumps and automatically park the drive heads.  Dual headphone sockets are standard, there’s also a “chat-tuned” webcam for which HP purposefully specified a VGA sensor (rather than, say, a 1.3-megapixel one) capable of improved low-light performance and 24fps.  Ports include a dual-purpose USB/eSATA, HDMI and Firewire, while the touchpad also has an on-off button for use with an external mouse.

Both the HDX16 and HDX18 will begin shipping this month, priced from $1,299 and $1,549 respectively.

Toshiba has released a few more laptops to fall right in line with their rough and tumble products that can stand up to serious abuse. The Tecra A10 and the M10 are super secure, protect your data and still stand up to the toughest conditions.

Both models possess:

• Intel Centrino 2 processor
• 8GB RAM
• 250GB hard drive
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
• Fingerprint security
• EasyGuard technology.

A few notable differences between the models are the display sizes. The M10 has a 14″ and the A10 has a 15″. 3G is also available on the M10. The A10 will cost about $870 and the M10 will cost about $960.

So if you’re looking for a laptop that can stand whatever situation you place it in, either the A10 or the M10 is a likely choice.

[via Electricpig]

In fact, according to Fujitsu-Siemens the Energy Star 4.0 certified ESPRIMO has an annual energy consumption of less than 80 kilowatt hours.  That corresponds to annual energy costs of just €13 ($19.40). It’s also small, at 1.7kg in weight and measuring 165 x 165 x 50mm, but still packs six USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA, gigabit ethernet and a DVI port. 

Graphics are, unsurprisingly, integrated; Intel’s Mobile GMA 4500MHD is used, capable out driving a monitor via DVI at up to 1920 x 1200 resolution.  You’ll pay a little more for the ESPRIMO Q5030 than you might for an Eee Box – the range starts at €529 ($789) – but I know which I’d rather have on my desk.

System memory is maxed out at 4GB, there’s a 200GB 7,200rpm hard-drive and a second available drive bay for expansion. Gateway have also added a multi-format DVD burner and eSATA port for backing up and connecting external storage.

Other connectivity options include WiFi draft-N, gigabit ethernet, an HDMI 1.3 port, three USB 2.0 ports, Firewire and a 5-in-1 media card reader. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is fitted as standard. Although the keyboard itself is not backlit, the multimedia keys above it are; there’s also a touch-sensitive volume slider.

OS is Vista Home Premium 64-bit, and the whole laptop is 1.7-inches thick and weighs 9.2lbs.  All in all, it looks to be something of a bargain; personally I’d slap another 200GB hard-drive in there, as the notebook apparently supports RAID 0 or 1.  The Gateway P-7811FX is on sale at Best Buy (though backordered at time of writing), priced at $1,399.99.

Press Release:

GAMING, ENTERTAINMENT FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL AND BEYOND WITH AFFORDABLE GATEWAY P-7811FX NOTEBOOK

Gateway Continues to Extend Incredible Value to its P-Series FX Edition Line with New Model Boasting Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 14, 2008 – Gateway, a wholly owned subsidiary of Acer Inc., today debuts the Gateway P-7811FX® notebook PC, the latest in its P-Series FX Edition line for gaming, entertainment and digital media hobbies such as photography and video editing.

The Gateway P-7811FX is designed to meet the needs of consumers who want a solid mobile enthusiast platform without the price premium typically associated with such PCs. It is the company’s first notebook powered by Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology, which delivers breakthrough performance, smooth multitasking, and improved energy efficiency.

“The Gateway P-7811FX is a great choice for customers such as students and professionals who want a notebook that can handle all of their computing needs – from creating videos and playing games to tackling work, school and home projects,” said Todd Titera, senior manager, notebook product management. “And while the new notebook is ideal for demanding gamers and enthusiasts who want the latest technology, its affordable price also makes it perfect for digital media hobbyists and casual PC game players.”

The Gateway P-7811FX uses the latest NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS graphics solution with 512MB of GDDR3 discrete video memory to deliver outstanding graphics performance and real-time 3D visuals. Combined with the Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz), the NVIDIA GeForce 9800M graphics card results in first-class mobile performance and vibrant, realistic video displayed on the 17-inch widescreen (1920×1200 resolution).

Further enhancing the consumer’s entertainment experience, the Gateway P-7811FX is loaded with extras. The HDMI v1.3 media connection lets consumers connect their notebook to a display device (TV, monitor) to enjoy high-definition video and audio through a single connection. The illuminated multimedia keys are integrated into the keyboard surround to allow access to frequently-used audio and video functions, while the touch-control volume slide provides convenient control.

Staying in touch is easy with the P-7811FX thanks to its 1.3 megapixel webcam that lets consumers enjoy video conferencing, video emails, voice over IP and still photos. The notebook also features 802.11 Draft-N with expanded wireless features, so consumers can communicate more effectively on the go. Plus, consumers have ample ways to connect to electronics, peripherals and digital media with the notebook’s 5-in-1 media card reader, three USB 2.0 ports and an IEEE 1394 port.

Ready to take on the latest applications, the Gateway P-7811FX comes with leading-edge technology including 4GB of memory, a huge 200GB(1) hard drive, an available second drive bay, and a Multi-Format Dual Layer DVDRW w/ DVD-RAM with LabelFlash (2). Also, the eSATA port delivers an industry-leading fast connection to external storage devices.

The Gateway P-7811FX comes with Microsoft Windows Home Premium 64-bit Edition.

Availability and Price
The new Gateway P-7811FX is available for sale now from Best Buy. It has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,399.99.

Gateway Limited Warranty, Service and Support
The Gateway P-7811FX is backed by a one year limited warranty.(4) Gateway’s commitment to quality and reliability is evident in its award-winning line of PCs as well as in its exceptional service and support programs. In addition to the company’s standard limited warranty options, its extensive online support center helps customers maximize their PC investment; it gives them easy access to customer support representatives and information on important issues such as warranties, technical issues and upgrading.

About Gateway
Since its founding in 1985, Irvine, Calif.-based Gateway has been a technology pioneer, offering award-winning products and world-class service to customers worldwide. Gateway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Acer Inc., the world’s third-largest PC company. See www.gateway.com for more information.

The keyboard looks to be another winner for the company, being that of the 14 and 15-inch ThinkPads transplanted onto the X200′s smaller chassis.  Certainly more room than the X61s, the 4:3 aspect screen of which led to truncated keys.

“The ThinkPad X200 nicely rounds out Lenovo’s ultraportable offerings: while it lacks a built-in optical drive, its smaller footprint, slightly lighter weight, and lower price will appeal to frequent business travelers and the budget-conscious” Michelle Thatcher, Crave

Battery life is a promising “especially impressive” and in all Crave seem impressed.  They’re promising the full review once retail pricing is confirmed.

Graphics performance in general is increased by 300-percent, no doubt with a lot to thank the NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS card for, while performance overall sees a 50-percent boost. There’s also a/g/n WiFi, e-SATA for high-speed external hard-drives and a 15.4-inch widescreen display. The Pi3540′s keyboard is spill-resistant, and the notebook has a “silent mode” that can reduce fan noise for use in quiet environments.

The Amilo Pi3540 will be available in August priced at €799 ($1,253). Fujitsu-Siemens previously announced the Fujitsu T5010, a Centrino 2 based Tablet PC that is currently available for pre-order with delivery in less than a month’s time.

[via Notebook Italia]

“We’re proud to report the best June quarter for both revenue and earnings in Apple’s history. We set a new record for Mac sales, we think we have a real winner with our new iPhone 3G, and we’re busy finishing several more wonderful new products to launch in the coming months” Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple

Apple executives described the “product transition” as potentially affecting Q4 revenues, and the immediate conclusion many have come to is that the MacBook and/or MacBook Pro ranges will see revisions.  Any new notebooks are likely to use Intel’s Centrino 2 chipset, which was officially announced last week.

Meanwhile, the company was keen to discuss its trend of releasing “state of the art new products at prices [our] competitors can’t match”, with initial high-end pricing being justified by the degree of new technology they involved.  As with the iPhone 3G, falling manufacturing costs then does its work in bringing prices down to more mainstream levels.  Describing themselves as “very excited” about the upcoming product(s), the executives involved would not be drawn on the exact nature of the release; however, the ongoing rumors of a Mac Tablet or, alternatively, a larger iPhone-style PDA or UMPC device have once again been awakened.

[via MacRumors]

As for grown-up notebooks, Intel finally made the Centrino 2 platform official, and with it the promise of not only faster processors but native draft-N WiFi support and longer battery life.  In fact this week the company had plenty to be pleased about, as they soundly thrashed arch-rival AMD with their Q2 2008 financial performance.

One manufacturer with new Centrino 2 machines in their line-up is Sony, and we spent some hands-on time with the new VAIO range at the beginning of the week.  As for reviews, this week we looked at VTech’s IS6110 instant messenger DECT phone (and came away less than massively impressed) as well as Palm’s new 3G Treo 800w (which was, frankly, equally disappointing).

In gaming, we summarised Microsoft’s new Xbox Experience as well as the news that Sony has a new, 80GB PS3 in the works for a September release.  Activision also gave us some good news regarding Rock Band instruments and their compatibility with Guitar Hero.

Filed under “what took them so long”, Apple finally got around to taking OS X clone manufacturer Psystar to court over accusations of trademark and copyright infringement as well as violation of its EULA.  Some wondered if the Cupertino company had bitten off more than it bargained for, however; not from a strong rebuttal from Psystar but from the possibility that Apple will be forced to licence out its software.  Also in the courts, ATI and NVIDIA faced more unpleasant evidence as part of the price-fixing class action against them.

Finally, chumps-of-the-week award goes to AT&T, for their on-again, off-again iPhone WiFi farce.  After several rounds of confirming and denying over complementary wireless for the first-gen iPhone, the carrier has once again “accidentally” announced and then withdrawn the offer for the iPhone 3G (of which in excess of one million were sold over the weekend, with stock delays stretching into weeks).  Incidentally, you can read SlashGear’s review of the iPhone 3G here.

Regular readers may have noticed a flip back from the video Week in Review; we’re reworking staff here at SlashGear, and frankly you wouldn’t want to see my ugly face!  We’re hoping to return to the video format in the near future, so keep reading!

The 5010 uses a 2.4GHz CPU, and exceeds the HP on storage too; 320GB on the 5010, versus 120GB on the 2730p.  Graphics and RAM are the same, however, with Intel’s Mobile GMA 4500MHD and 2GB (albeit DDR3 in the 5010 and DDR2 in the 2730p).

AVING seem to have slipped in a photo of another HP notebook with a DVD drive, but there’s no word on whether the 2730p includes one; there is, however, a fingerprint scanner mounted on th edge of the screen.  These photos also show some sort of fold-out section just above the scanner, which could be an aerial for 3G WWAN mobile broadband.

No word on availability or price as of yet.

Each Toughbook will now come with a 160GB hard-drive, mounted in a shock-resistant caddy, as well as draft-N WiFi.  Both already have magnesium alloy cases, flexible internal connectors, shock-mounted LCDs and spill-resistant keyboards. The CF-52 has a 15.4-inch widescreen LCD, while the smaller CF-74 has an outdoor-viewable 13.3-inch display.

Both updated models will be available in August. The Toughbook CF-52 will come in two configurations, value (with an estimated street price of $1,949) or premium for improved video and system performance (estimated street price of $2,849). The Toughbook CF-74 will have an estimated street price of $3,199.

Under the hood, aside from the 2.4GHz P8600 Core 2 Duo processor, there’s 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB hard-drive, A/G/N WiFi and Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics.  Fujitsu have also managed to squeeze a DVD SuperMulti optical drive in there too.

There’s also more security functionality than you’ll likely know what to do with: a Trusted Platform Module, biometric fingerprint scanner and Smart Card slot, as well as Fujitsu’s Portshutter data leak prevention software, two-level BIOS and HDD password protection and support for Absolute Software’s Computrace computer theft recovery service. 

Pricing is still uncertain, though Virginia Tech had it down as starting from $1,999.  Release date is similarly unknown.

Edit: Fujitsu have issued a press release, stating that the new P5010 will be priced from $1,769 and is available to preorder now.  Delivery will begin mid-August 2008.

[via AVING]

The F55 and X305 are relatively standard notebooks.  The former has a GPS receiver for navigation, NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS graphics powering a 15.4-inch TruBrite high-def display and 2.1 Harman Kardon speakers, together with HDMI, eSATA, a DVD SuperDrive and face-recognising webcam.  The X305, meanwhile, will be available exclusively at Best Buy and comes with an NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS video card, Core 2 Duo P7350 processor, a 17.1-inch widescreen display and 200GB, 7,200rpm HDD.

Where it gets interesting is the G55.  The Cell Processor – which has seen action in the PS3 – comes under th brand name “Quad Core HD Processor” and takes on heavy multimedia processing chores such as video transcoding; that means the G55 is capable of real-time upconversion of standard-def video to 720p, super-fast transcoding between media formats and “video indexing” where clips are catalogued according to facial recognition.  There’s also gesture control, using the onboard webcam.

An 18.4-inch widescreen display and 2.1 Harman Kardon speaker system means the G55 is definitely a desktop replacement rather than a notebook you’d want to take with you everywhere.  Hook-ups to your existing home entertainment system are via HDMI and it can control Toshiba-branded AV equipment thanks to REGZA LINK.

The F55, X305 and G55 are available now.

Qosmio F55-Q502 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,399.99)

– OS selection at first boot:
– Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version) (default)
– Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit(4) version)
– Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor P7350(6)
– 3072MB PC-6400 DDR2 SDRAM(7)
– 320GB (5400 RPM) Serial-ATA HDD(8)
– DVD SuperMulti (+/-double layer) with Labelflash(TM) drive
– NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 9700M GTS with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics(2) memory
– Atheros(R) (802.11 b/g/n)(9)
– Built-in GPS(1) ready

Qosmio F55-Q503 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,749.99)

– OS selection at first boot:
– Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit(4) version) (default)
– Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version)
– Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T9400(6)
– 4096MB PC-6400 DDR2 SDRAM(7)
– 320GB using two (7200 RPM) Serial-ATA HDD(8)
– DVD SuperMulti (+/-double layer) with Labelflash(TM) drive
– NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 9700M GTS with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics(2) memory
– Atheros(R) (802.11 b/g/n)(9)
– Bluetooth(R) version 2.1 + EDR
– Built-in GPS(1) ready

Qosmio X305-Q701 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,549.99)

– OS selection at first boot:
– Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit(6) version) (default)
– Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version)
– Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor P7350(3)
– 4096MB PC3-8500 DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM(4)
– 200GB (7200 RPM) Serial ATA HDD(5)
– DVD SuperMulti (+/- double layer) with Labelflash(TM) drive
– NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 9700M(2) GTS with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics memory
– Intel(R) Wi-Fi Link 5100AGN (802.11a/g/n)(7)
– Bluetooth(R) version 2.1 + EDR

Qosmio G55-Q802 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,549.99)

– OS selection at first boot:
- Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit5 version)(default)
- Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version)
– Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T7350(1)
- 2.0 GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB
– TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor(1)
– 4096MB PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz SDRAM memory(6)
– 500GB using two 5400 RPM Serial ATA hard disk drives(7)
– DVD SuperMulti (+/- double layer) drive with Labelflash(TM) supporting 11 formats
– NVIDIA(R) GeForce(TM) 9600M GT with 512MB GDDR2 discrete graphics(2) memory,
– Atheros(R) 802.11 b/g/n wireless-LAN(8)

Qosmio G55-Q801 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,299.99)

– OS selection at first boot:
- Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit(5) version)(default)
- Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version)
– Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T7350(1)
- 2.0 GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB
– 4096MB PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz SDRAM memory(6)
– 320GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive(7)
– DVD SuperMulti (+/- double layer) drive with Labelflash(TM) supporting 11 formats
– NVIDIA(R) GeForce(TM) 9200M GS with 256MB GDDR2 discrete graphics(2) memory
– Atheros(R) 802.11 b/g/n wireless-LAN(8)

The five new Centrino 2 processors each have a 1066MHz FSB and up to 6MB of L2 cache, and three versions reduce laptop processor wattage by around 30-percent, down to just 25 watts.  Also featured is Deep Power Down Technology that turns off processing components such as core clocks and cache memory when the laptop is idle.  There’s also switchable graphics, similar to that seen in AMD’s Puma platform, whereby the user can choose between more energy efficient onboard graphics or higher-performance discrete graphics.

For the power users and mobile gamers, Intel delivered the Core2 Extreme processor running at 3.06GHz.  The company will also introduce eight more ultra-low voltage and it’s first-ever quad-cores for laptops within the next 90 days.  

Press Release

New Intel-Based Laptops Advance All Facets of Notebook PCs
New Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology Brings ‘HD-to-Go’; Adds Security and Manageability Features, Boosts Speed, Battery Life and Wireless Range

SAN FRANCISCO, July 15, 2008 – Intel Corporation unveiled its Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology products for laptops today, powered by five new Intel® Core™2 Duo processors. Close to 250 innovative consumer and business notebook PC designs are on the way, including those equipped with the right combination of powerful processors, graphics and battery life to enjoy viewing stunning high definition videos and myriad other computer and Internet activities.

Intel also introduced the world’s highest-performing dual-core mobile processor, the Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor running at a brisk 3.06 GHz, as measured by SPECint*_rate_base2006, an industry benchmark (www.spec.org)**.

Rounding out a mobile-focused summer for the company, Intel said it also plans to unveil eight processors within 90 days that will include first-ever mobile quad-core products and second-generation products for ultra-thin and light notebooks. In total, Intel will bring 14 diverse new processors into the marketplace as laptop sales continue to outpace desktop PCs.

Formerly codenamed Montevina, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology and Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ Technology improve upon every facet of a laptop’s main features, including performance and battery life via new processors and chipsets, faster draft 802.11n wireless (with WiMAX arriving later this year), and new business-class manageability capabilities.

“When we first introduced Intel Centrino back in 2003, there were very few Wi-Fi hotspots, YouTube videos and social media didn’t really exist, ‘thin and light’ only referred to weight goals and desktop PCs outsold notebooks by a very wide margin,” said Mooly Eden, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the company’s Mobile Platforms Group. “Today, notebooks outsell desktops in the U.S, and we’re paving the way to HD entertainment, rich online gaming, faster broadband wireless speeds and an easier and more secure way for businesses to manage, update and repair their notebook fleets.”

Intel is introducing five dual core processors based on Intel’s reinvented transistors (high-k metal gate formula) and advanced 45-nanometer manufacturing process. These processors come with a faster 1066MHz front side bus and up to 6MB of L2 cache, and three versions reduce laptop processor wattage about 30 percent, down to just 25 watts. Also featured is Deep Power Down Technology that turns off processing components such as core clocks and cache memory when the laptop is idle for greater energy savings.

Intel also unveiled its Mobile Intel® 45 Express Chipset and wireless Intel® Wi-Fi Link 5000 series that is shipping to customers now, with laptops arriving later in July and August. Delivering five times the speed and twice the range of older 802.11a/g technology, the Intel Wi-Fi Link 5000 series provides 802.11 draft-N support that delivers the fastest data rates possible today — up to 450 Mbps.

Switchable graphics, a new optional power-saving feature available on Intel Centrino 2-based notebooks, provides both integrated and discrete graphics on a single notebook, enabling users to easily switch between the two options. Switchable graphics delivers greater 3-D performance when needed while providing the option for greater power savings for the best of both worlds.

For consumers, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology delivers the horsepower and battery life to enjoy a typical full-length, Blu-ray* high-definition video on a single battery charge for the first time, plus the ability to play a variety of online games, download music or post videos faster than before.

For businesses, Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology offers enhanced manageability and security options. This is increasingly important as companies replace desktops with notebooks and need to remotely diagnose, update and repair systems over a wireless network. Improved manageability with AMT 4.0 has also been added that provides wireless manageability during system sleep states, ongoing remote configuration capabilities, support for next-generation management standards (WS-MAN and DASH 1.0) and the ability for an employee to initiate communications to IT from outside a company’s firewall.

OEMs and Channel system builders will deliver close to 250 systems to market. For more information including Intel product pricing, visit www.intel.com/go/processor_pricing. For a full media version of this release including photos, videos, related blogs and other information, visit www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20080715comp_sm.htm and the Intel Centrino 2 technology press kit at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/centrino2.

WiMAX Momentum
Later this year in the United States, Intel will begin shipping its first-ever combined WiMAX/Wi-Fi module, part of the Intel® WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 5050 Series that is an optional feature for future Intel Centrino 2-based laptops. WiMAX is a 4G, Internet protocol-based broadband wireless technology that complements Wi-Fi networks.

WiMAX also provides much wider Internet and phone voice coverage, and unlike Wi-Fi has the ability to unwire entire cities or communities, connecting users even when they’re on the move. Intel is working with service providers around the world to deploy WiMAX networks, with initial U.S. network availability starting later this year from Sprint XOHM and Clearwire. 

The first batch of releases would be 2.53Ghz and 2.8Ghz model accompanied by low power model running at 2.26Ghz, 2.4Ghz, and 2.54Ghz.

While these chips will be available earlier than planned, parts of Centrino 2 platform will not be launching at the same time. Intel’s 802.11n and WiMax chipset will still be launching in August – Ultra-low voltage CPU will be available in September.

[via electronista]

“There were two minor issues we found during final testing – one with our integrated graphic chipsets, which we have found a workaround for but need to re-screen our parts, and second around our wireless wi-fi chip, which was a paperwork and certification mistake we made” Bill Kircos, Intel spokesperson

“Both of these [issues] led us to establishing a launch date for our mobile processors and discrete chipsets of the week of July 14th, and taking a couple of weeks to get the right readiness and volume for the rest of our components. We’re looking at early August for that” Bill Kircos, Intel spokesperson

Montevina was intended to be the first of Intel’s standardized support for both 802.11n and WiMAX.  However, progress on these technologies has not, perhaps, continued at the pace Intel expected; the WiFi ‘n’ protocol is still in draft, and WiMAX recently required a significant financial bail-out.  It’s now not expected to launch properly until next year.

It was recently speculated that Intel would be adding SSD drives to the Centrino 2 platform.  Sources at PC manufacturers suggested that the chip maker planned to target enterprise, mid-range and high-end notebook markets with 2.5 and 1.8-inch drives, both with 80GB capacity, by the end of Q3 2008.  If true, it’s uncertain how this overall Montevina delay will affect that, if at all.

Intel will apparently be releasing two sizes of drive, 2.5-inch and 1.8-inch, known individually as Client X25-M and Client X18-M respectively.  Both SSDs will store 80GB and use a SATA interface.  By the end of Q4 2008, sources continue, Intel will have doubled capacity to 160GB, followed by a jump to 250GB and above in 2009.

An increasing number of notebooks are now available with solid-state storage, despite the technology not being integrated into the Centrino platform.  Apple’s MacBook Air has an expensive SSD option, while Lenovo took the opposite tack and released their ThinkPad X300 at first with only solid-state memory; traditional hard-drives were introduced in the following months.  SSDs are prized for their lower power-requirements, faster data access times and resistance to bumps and jolts; however they are still priced at a premium above traditional platter-based drives, which is presumably why Intel is not committing the entire Centrino 2 platform to use them.

It packs in a 1.33GHz Intel Centrino Atom processor model Z520, has a 1024×600 touchscreen LCD with LED backlighting, a full keyboard that slides out from underneat, and WiFi b/g. Add to that the Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, a 2MP camera that is capable of video recording, and 1GB of RAM and this thing is shaping up to be one of the best UMPCs there is.

It comes loading with Windows Vista Home Premium and Microsoft Office Personal 2007, it also has NAVITIME and some virus software pre-installed. Other than the keyboard that slides out, and can even be used to lock the screen in a vertical position, which would make it possible to type like a regular keyboard and or watch movies, there also seems to be some touch sensitive keys on either side of the screen. More on this little bugger as it comes our way.

[via AkihabraNews and k-tai.impress]

Montevina to be paired with the Cantiga chipset and refreshed Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and will also feature WiMax.

On the early days, Intel has spent so much of its resources pushing the Centrino brand, so it makes sense to keep using the brand. Intel plans to roll out the first quad-core mobile CPU in Q3.

[via digitimes]