Intel’s launch of Centrino 2, codenamed ‘Montevina’, is the latest upgrade after its predecessor’s launch in 2003, and is a move to take on its rival AMD Puma.

“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.” The new platform based on the 45 nanometer technology is equipped with second generation Core 2 Duo processor, codenamed Penryn, a Core 2 Extreme processor running at 3.06 GHz and wireless technology that supports WiMax and 802.11 Wi-Fi. Intel India Development Center (IIDC), Banglore, has played a significant role in the product development of Centrino 2. The team has executed key design and validation activities on its WiFi chipsets.
Along with Penryn, Centrino 2 includes an Intel Mobile 4 Express series chipset, codenamed Cantiga, with the company's GMA X4500 graphics technology. In addition, the chipset will include flash memory caching branded as Intel Turbo Memory, codenamed Robson 2. Intel claims that the new platform will be able to offer high definition functionality, processing speeds, and long battery life to the laptop. The laptop processor wattage is reduced by 30 percent to 25 watts in Centrino 2 and the new deep power down technology turns off cache memory when the laptop is idle, hence saving battery.

The company had announced late in May that the initial shipments of the chip platform would be pushed back from June, thanks to problems with its integrated graphics technology and a licensing misstep. However, Intel is not in a laid back mood. As it came to the market after a month compared to its rival, the company is in a hustle to conquer them in the market. Intel will be launching eight new processors for Centrino 2 in the next 90 days, which may possibly include a quad core processor for mobile computing ? a first ever.