Next-Gen Intel Notebook Platform "Calpella" Details

The Intel platform in notebooks hitting shelves at this moment is Montevina, the first to go by the Centrino 2 moniker. Though it's fresh out the door, Digitimes supposedly has some details on Calpella, the one that'll follow it next summer. More »

Why Apple Is Sticking With Intel Chipsets (Probably)

One of the more eyebrow-raising rumors in the scramble of them about Apple's upcoming MacBooks is that they will switch from Intel chipsets to someone else's. It seemed odd on its face, since Intel and Apple are fairly tight, and there's not a very apparent reason to switch. Jon at Ars lays out a fairly solid case for why Apple is sticking with Intel though. More »

Lenovo's Ultra-Cheap Notebooks: IdeaPad G-Series

Yes, netbooks and ultra-cheap lappies are being pumped out by everybody, and frankly, boring. But a Lenovo-made cheapie that brings some of their standard features and serious build quality down to a netbook pricepoint would be a bargain-bin laptop worth looking at. Supposedly the first in their IdeaPad G-Series will be 14.1-incher running on Centrino 2. Hopefully the pricepoint is in line with (or better than) its smaller competition. [DigiTimes via I4U]

First Intel Mobile Quad-Core Processor Coming Soon (Zoooom)

In addition to bragging about how awesome and zippy (while only power-sippy) Centrino 2 is, Intel execs also slipped that they'd be launching a set by the end of the quarter with their first mobile quad-core processor. Thanks to its hardcore power management on the Centrino 2, you'll actually be able to run four cores with more than 15 minutes of battery life. Also, Centrino 2 with integrated graphics will be available in "the coming weeks" after suffering some explode-y problems, leading to its initial delay. [PC Mag]

Intel's Centrino 2 Gets Official Launch, Alongside Core 2 Extreme

We learned in May that there would be delays to Intel's Centrino 2 chipset for notebooks, but today it gets an official launch from Intel. That certainly tallies with the slew of notebooks hitting the news which have the chips inside. Alongside the Centrino 2, Intel gives us word on the Core 2 Extreme, which runs at 3.06 GHz and the Mobile Intel 45 Express Chipset and wireless Intel Wi-Fi Link 5000, and the WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 5050 chipset that supports the Centrino 2 to support WiMax and Wi-Fi operations. Since Intel plans to release eight processors over the next 90 days, there'll be lots more news like this. Press release below. More »

Lenovo IdeaPad U330 is Super Shiny and Slim

Lenovo launched the 13.3" IdeaPad U330 laptop tonight at Intel's Centrino 2 launch event, and it looked pretty nice. As far as specs go, the Centrino 2-powered device is 0.9 inches thick, under four pounds and has five hours of battery life, with a Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz P7350 at 2GHz, and Lenovo's standard active protection system. More »

Satellite Pro S300, Tecra A10 and M10: Toshiba's First Centrino 2 vPro Notebooks Can Be Fixed Wirelessly Even While Frozen

The Satellite Pro S300, Tecra A10 and Tecra M10 all have Toshiba's EasyGuard with shock and spill protection, a business card reader, a combo USB 2.0 eSATA port, and sleep-and-charge USB ports. A point of differentiation is that the Tecra A10 and M10 both rock Centrino 2 vPro, which has tech for the enterprise set so IT can fix your comp wirelessly, even when it's frozen. More »

Sony Vaio BZ Business Notebooks: Handsome, Tough and Spill Resistant

The Vaio BZ series business notebook from Sony combines the look of a Vaio and the durability of a ThinkPad to make a glitzier business notebook than we usually see. The BZ isn't Mil-Spec strong like Toughbooks or EliteBooks, but it carries HDD shock protection and a spill resistant keyboard in its magnesium alloy case, which is similar spec-wise to a Lenovo ThinkPad. More »

Sony Vaio FW and SR Series: First 16.4-Inch Notebook, MacBook-Style Keyboards

Two series of Vaio Centrino 2 consumer notebooks: FW is the world's first 16.4-inch widescreen notebook, meant to deliver a 17-inch widescreen 16:9 experience in a 15-incher's footprint. (The math sort of works.) It's optimized for HD and Blu-ray playback (though optional) with built-in PS3 and Vaio Home Theater PC streaming. The SR-series notebooks bring some higher-end features down to the consumer level at a decent, with an LED-backlit 13.3-inch widescreen and G-sensor HDD shock protection. Every Vaio notebook (except the BZ biz class laptops) has the new MacBook style-keyboard—though Sony says they did it first, 2003—as well as a crapware manager. Full details below. More »

Sony Teases New Centrino 2 Notebook Line for Monday

Sony Style has posted a teaser on its front page promising that the company's going to drop some knowledge on Monday at 9PM. Chances are, it's about Sony's new Centrino 2-based VAIO line, which should offer better performance while consuming less power than its older models. Laptops rumored to be featured include the company's first 16:9-ratio notebooks, including the 13.1-inch VAIO Z and the 16.4-inch VAIO FZ. [Electronista]

Intel Demos Centrino 2 ASUS M51VA, WiMax from Computex

Intel's Senior Technical Marketing Engineer for Corporate Demonstrations Craig Raymond had his lucky hands all over the new ASUS M51VA Centrino 2 ("Montevina") portable at a pre-Computex demo session today, and—delay or no delay—he came away loving the freedom of Intel's new chip and WiMax. Sure, he's an Intel guy talking about an Intel-equipped laptop, but he sounds like he put the thing through the paces, starting with a highly scientific test using World of Warcraft. More »

Intel Centrino 2 Delay Gets Official

Yesterday's report that Intel's highly anticipated Centrino 2 chipset was being delayed by issues with the integrated graphics and a wireless certification boo-boo was right on the money. Intel confirmed it today, with a soft launch July 14 of the Centrino 2 sets using discrete graphics and their new mobile processors, followed by a full rollout of the whole shebang in August. [PCMag]

Intel's Centrino 2 Platform Delayed (Upshot: No New MacBooks at WWDC)

TGDaily is reporting that Intel's next-gen Centrino 2 platform (aka Montevina) has hit a series of snags and won't launch until July 14 at the earliest. Aside from delaying new Centrino 2 notebooks generally (duh), it also significantly quashes the chances of new MacBooks at WWDC—particularly since one of the issues is with the integrated graphics chipset, which is causing serious failures in OEM notebooks. More »

Intel Santa Rosa Successor "Montevina" Knighted as "Centrino 2"

Four of Intel's mobile chipsets—including its most recent and well-known, Santa Rosa—have been Centrino as far as your mom is concerned. To help us keep things a little straighter and make it obvious they're actually updating stuff, Intel's upcoming Penryn-oriented mobile chipset, Montevina, which'll be pushing Santa Rosa aside, will be branded Centrino 2. Thanks, Intel, for bringing just a little bit of logic to chip branding. Core 2 Duo is still a mouthful, though. [Digitimes]