Intel \'Core 2 Duo\' brand

Intel today will introduce a single brand name for its next generation notebook and desktop chips. Formally dubbed Merom and Conroe (respectively), the new chips, built around the company's Core architecture, will likely be used in Apple's professional line of laptops and other desktops by the end of the year. The Conroe and Merom chips will both be called "Core 2 Duo" when they launch-- 'Conroe' for desktops in July and 'Merom' for laptops in August. According to Intel, the new line of chips will be faster and use less energy than previous processors, such as the Pentium 4. The 'Core 2 Duo' brand will supersede the Pentium D brand for desktops and will be used for future chip designs, according to the company. Late last month, Intel announced its new vPro brand, due in the third quarter, that targets businesses and IT customers and features a 64-bit microarchitecture. The company also said that Woodcrest, a high-end desktop chip, targeted at high-performance gaming, will be available in June, the company said. [corrected: Woodcrest is not Intel Core 2 XE]

by MacNN Staff