Intel to complete Core 2 Duo launch on Monday
The last leg of Intel's comeback special will arrive on Monday in the form of Merom, or the notebook version of the Core 2 Duo, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.
Notebook makers are expected to tout new systems based on the chip on Monday, the sources said. An Intel representative declined to comment. eWeek reported the launch date earlier this week.
The other Core architecture chips have delivered a huge boost for Intel's performance figures, replacing older desktop and server processors that ran hot and slow compared with AMD's chips. Intel's notebook products did not have the same problems, however, since they were built on a forerunner of the Core architecture that emphasized slower, more efficient chips.
The notebook Core 2 Duo, formerly known as Merom, will slowly replace Intel's first dual-core notebook chip, the Core Duo. Core 2 Duo chips will plug into the same motherboards that Core Duo uses. A more substantial renovation to Intel's notebook products will come next year with the Santa Rosa platform.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
