After miscue, Centrino 2 takes the stage

SAN FRANCISCO--Though a little behind schedule, it's finally here.

Despite a minor snafu that held up the launch by three weeks, Intel officially introduced its new Centrino 2 platform at a press event here Monday night.

The delay was reportedly a problem with the FCC certification for the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard used in the platform, in addition there were reports of problems with the integrated graphics feature.

More than 240 new laptops will be launched Tuesday using Intel's Centrino 2 platform.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET News)

But on launch day, Intel's Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the mobile platforms group, said the fix was a "simple procedure" and that Intel is "good to go."

As part of the introduction of Centrino 2 platform, later Monday night PC makers like Lenovo, Acer, Gateway, Fujitsu, and others will roll out their latest laptops with the updated technology.

The Centrino 2 platform comes in two flavors, one for consumers, and one with Intel's vPro technology for business customers.

This time around, Centrino 2's high-definition media capability is what Intel is trying to push. The whole platform is set up to enhance Blu-ray playback, and the company says it will help a laptop's battery last two hours, which for many films means you can see the entire HD movie without having to recharge.

There are five new processors available within the Centrino 2 family. At the event, Intel made a big show of its Core2 Extreme Mobile Processor X9100, which it says is the "highest performing mobile processor." Intel has removed overclock protection, and generally tuned it to impress gamers. To demonstrate, an Intel employee played the PC version of Assassin's Creed on a notebook with the Extreme Mobile Processor.

The new chipset is also developed with an eye toward gamers. Intel is introducing an option in which the same notebook can switch between using discrete graphics (which are battery intensive and loved by gamers) and integrated graphics (which reduces the power drain on the PC).

In all, Intel tried to demonstrate what it thinks is the most important issue for mobile PC users: balancing power efficiency and faster processing. The "secret sauce," said Intel's Eden, is a feature they are calling HUGI, which stands for "Hurry Up and Get Idle."

The company says it will enable the new 2.8GHz processor to consume 60 percent less electricity than its 2.33GHz processor on a single task, and it will get that task done 30 second faster.

Also in Centrino 2, 802.11n Wi-Fi will be standard. Intel says to expect five times faster wireless connections, and twice the range, but to get ready for WiMax coming this fall. Though not available immediately, future versions of Centrino 2 will come with built-in WiMax capability.

[Anto]

Does anyone knows when is this processor going to be adopted by Apple? I'm planning on buying a MacBook Pro.....

[truthteller33]

90% of all US retail notebooks sold to consumers come with integrated graphics. Intel didnt launch one SKU with integrated graphics and the press fell for it. Where are the reviews showing the performance and compatibility of the IGP 4500? Where is the real test with a real system measuring battery life on HD video and IGP? You cant find them BECAUSE THEY DON'T EXIST YET! The press can be so gullible it cracks me up. They fell for it. Net-net, nothing new was delivered in the launch. Penryn mobile isnt new, as they have been around for months. They didnt deliver the graphics chipset. They said August...cough....cough. "N" had already been delivered so nothing new. More WiMax powerpoint and demos, but no shipping cards. So.....when you really add it up the only new thing launched in Centrino 2 were discrete graphuics cards from ATI and Nvidia.

[gerrrg]

Gibberish.

The Centrino2 platform includes graphics chipset and wireless chipset. The 4500HD chipset for desktops support full HD 1080p but not the 4500 mobile chipset - yet. Which begs the question...what compatibility issues with the GMA 4500 are you talking about? That's part and parcel of the Centrino 2 platform.

The Penryn (Core 2 Duo) isn't new, but the processors introduced are - 1066 FSB over 800 FSB for the older Penryns...that and faster CPU clock speeds.

At what point is reporting the news of Centrino2 revealing the press to be gullible? I'm not 1% smart, so please help.

[Get_Bent]

"removed overclock protection". Great! Now I can overclock the CPU in my laptop, then watch it overheat and shut down (or worse yet, overheat and melt down).

"an Intel employee played the PC version of Assassin's Creed on a notebook with the Extreme Mobile Processor." Was that using the integrated graphics or discrete graphics? I suspect the latter. No matter how hard Intel tries, their IGP is barely usable for medium-level games and completely unusable for high-end games. At least now you have the ability to switch between the two, trading off between battery life and graphics performance.