Intel Launches Intel Centrino Mobile Technology; New Capabilities Unwire Mobile PCs to Change Where and How People Compute and Communicate
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2003--Intel
Corporation today introduced Intel(R) Centrino(TM) mobile technology,
integrating wireless capability into a new generation of mobile PCs
that will bring business users and consumers greater freedom to
connect in new places and in new ways.
Representing Intel's best technology for mobile PCs, Intel
Centrino mobile technology includes a new mobile processor, related
chipsets and 802.11 wireless network functions that have been
optimized, tested and validated to work together. In addition to
wireless communications, Intel Centrino mobile technology includes
features designed to enable extended battery life, thinner and lighter
notebook designs, and outstanding mobile performance.
"Unwiring the PC will change the way people use computers,
allowing them to communicate, be productive or be entertained wherever
and whenever they want," said Craig Barrett, Intel's chief executive
officer. "Our focus on integrating all the elements of mobility allows
Intel Centrino mobile technology to deliver an outstanding wireless
computing experience and marks the first time we've put a combination
of technologies under a single brand. This breakthrough innovation,
together with industry-wide investment and Wi-Fi hotspot deployments,
brings new computing and communications capabilities to businesses and
consumers, adding value to mobile PCs."
Intel Centrino mobile technology-based notebook PCs are available
immediately from leading computer makers worldwide. System pricing
will start as low as $1,399, comparable to today's mainstream
notebooks. Computer shoppers can identify these notebooks by a
Centrino brand logo featuring a striking magenta color and the Intel
Inside(R) mark.
Accelerating "Hotspot" Deployment Worldwide
Hotspots -- locations where users can connect using 802.11
wireless technology -- are on the rise, enabling users to be more
mobile than ever. According to industry analyst firm IDC, there will
be more than 118,000 hotspots worldwide by 2005.**
Using truly mobile notebook computers can change the way people
live. With notebooks based on Intel Centrino mobile technology, a
business traveler can check office email or read the hometown
newspaper online while waiting for a flight at the airport, and still
have battery life left to watch a DVD movie on the plane ride home. A
real estate agent can check the latest listings wirelessly while
dining with prospective home-buyers. A financial planner can check the
market and activate client orders while at a seminar without
compromising on the performance necessary to run the most demanding
office applications. Students can register for next semester's classes
or seek a part-time job from the college library, all on a sleek,
light-weight system that won't drag them down.
As part of the introduction of Intel Centrino mobile technology,
Intel has been working with leading wireless network service
providers, hotels, airports, retail and restaurant chains worldwide to
accelerate deployment and increase awareness of wireless public
hotspots. In addition to marketing and promotional activities, Intel
developed the Wireless Verification Program which includes engineering
and testing of Intel Centrino mobile technology with various access
point devices, software combinations, hotspot locations and wireless
service providers to verify they are compatible, further enhancing the
end user's wireless experience. Intel's efforts worldwide have already
resulted in thousands of verified hotspots. The company expects to
verify more than 10,000 by the end of the year.
Intel has also created a standardized worldwide Wireless
Identifier Program that includes signs to help users identify where
they can connect wirelessly. The program informs users that a
particular service provider's network has been verified with Intel
Centrino mobile technology. In addition, the company last year created
a $150 million fund to invest in companies that are helping to expand
and accelerate the infrastructure and capabilities required to make
wireless computing ubiquitous.
The Technology Inside
The technology represented by the Intel Centrino mobile technology
brand combines the Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor, the Intel(R) 855
Chipset Family and the Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Connection.
All components were optimized, validated and tested to work together
with mobility in mind.
The processor is based on a new mobile-optimized microarchitecture
that delivers higher performance and lower power consumption to enable
longer battery life in today's mainstream systems. Key features
include: Micro-Ops Fusion, which combines two micro-operations into
one, enabling it to execute faster and at lower power; Advanced
Branch Prediction -- a new implementation technique -- to help to
reduce overall latency in the system contributing to higher
performance at lower power; and the Dedicated Stack Manager, which
reduces the overall number of micro-operations required to generate
higher performance at lower power.
The processor is manufactured using Intel's industry-leading
0.13-micron process technology and consists of 77 million transistors.
It also includes a 400 MHz power optimized system bus, a 1 MB
low-power L2 cache (which turns off parts of the high-speed memory
when it's not needed), and technology to reduce overall platform power
consumption. It also provides support for Enhanced Intel(R)
SpeedStep(R) technology with multiple voltage and frequency operating
points, and Streaming SIMD Extensions II.
The Intel 855 chipset family includes two new chipsets developed
exclusively for the mobile market segment, the 855PM supporting
discrete graphics and 855GM with integrated Intel(R) Extreme Graphics
2 technology. The new chipsets also support Enhanced Intel SpeedStep
technology, Deeper Sleep Alert State and an internal timer that
automatically turns off the chipset clock when the chipset is
inactive. The 855GM chipset also includes a low-power graphics power
management mode. Both chipsets include a 400MHz processor system bus
and support for up to 2GB of DDR 266 memory, along with support for
USB 2.0 and Intel's I/O Hub Architecture.
The Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Connection has been designed
and validated to connect easily to 802.11b Wi-Fi certified access
points. It also supports advanced wireless LAN security including
802.1x, WEP and VPN technologies, and will be software upgradeable to
support WPA. In addition, through strategic collaboration with Cisco
Systems, Intel Centrino mobile technology will support Cisco* LEAP and
will be software upgradeable to Cisco* Compatible Extensions.
The Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 network connection has also been
verified with leading VPN (virtual private network) suppliers. The
wireless card is also available with Intel(R) PROSet Software, which
offers many ease-of-use and low power features. It also supports an
Intel developed technology that reduces interference with 802.11
signals and certain Bluetooth(TM) devices.
Measuring Mobile Performance And Battery Life
As measured by MobileMark(TM) 2002, the industry's first benchmark
testing a combination of battery life and performance, Intel Centrino
mobile technology-based systems can deliver up to five hours of
battery life or more,* compared to about four hours on mobile Intel(R)
Pentium(R) III processor-M-based system and about 3 hours on mobile
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor-M-based systems. On the same
benchmark, Intel Centrino mobile technology offers 41 percent faster
performance on multitasking office productivity applications compared
to a mobile Intel Pentium III processor-M 1.2 GHz, and a 15 percent
improvement compared to the mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor-M 2.4 GHz
system.
In addition, users of Intel Centrino mobile technology
based-systems will find 59 percent better performance in their
Internet experience as measured by the WebMark* benchmark when
compared to the mobile Intel PentiumIII processor-M 1.2GHz and a 13
percent improvement gain when compared to the mobile Intel Pentium 4
processor-M 2.4GHz.
Product Pricing
Intel Centrino mobile technology pricing includes the Intel 855PM
chipset, Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 network connection, and the Intel
Pentium M Processor at speeds of 1.60, 1.50, 1.40, 1.30 GHz priced at
$720, $506, $377, $292 respectively in 1,000 unit quantities. Intel
Centrino mobile technology also is available in a low voltage
processor at 1.10 GHz and an ultra-low-voltage processor at 900 MHz
priced at $345, and $324 respectively.
These prices represent the cost of each component (processor,
chipset, WLAN) that together make up Intel's Centrino mobile
technology. Intel also sells each device separately.
Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, is also a leading
manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products.
Additional information about Intel is available at
www.intel.com/pressroom.
Intel, Intel Centrino, Pentium, SpeedStep technology are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its
subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other names and
brands may be claimed as the property of others.
* For more information on Intel's mobile performance, visit:
www.intel.com/performance
** IDC, 2003.
****Note: Important Information: Wireless connectivity and some
features may require you to purchase additional software, services or
external hardware. Availability of public wireless LAN access points
limited. System performance measured by MobileMark* 2002. System
performance, battery life, wireless performance and functionality will
vary depending on your specific hardware and software configurations.
See http://www.intel.com/products/centrino/more_info for more
information.
CONTACT: Intel Corporation
Shannon Johnson, 408/765-7770
shannon.johnson@intel.com
