April 28 - 4:15pm EDT   The 3.06GHz processor and fellow chips in Apple's new iMacs are part of a special run of Intel's existing technology rather than an early introduction of Centrino 2 technology, Intel has confirmed with Electronista. Although the processors match the same core clock rates and 1,066MHz system bus speeds as those for the upcoming platform, the processors are now known to be unlisted speed grades that include special support for the faster bus speeds (up from 800MHz). [full story]

April 10 - 10:50am EDT   Australian PC builder Pioneer on Thursday has inadvertently become the first to advertise a system based on Intel's Centrino 2 mobile platform. The DreamBook Style 9008 will be one of Pioneer's thin-and-light 15.4-inch notebooks and will achieve its goal in part by using an unnamed variant of the new "Montevina" era, P-series Core 2 Duo processors: the design will have the faster 1,066MHz system bus from the full-size chips but consume just 25 watts of power, letting it run with less cooling and with longer battery life than full-power 35W chips. [full story]

April 2 - 12:55pm EDT   Presenting at its Developer Forum in Shanghai, Intel has exposed some of the first details of "Calpella," its next-generation notebook platform. A successor to the company's still-unreleased Centrino 2 platform, Calpella systems are only expected to arrive in the third quarter of 2009, but should bring significant enhancements. Among these is the use of Intel's upcoming Nehalem processor architecture, which should in fact be available in an enhanced 32nm form by the time Calpella computers are on the market. The first Nehalem CPUs will use 45nm manufacturing. [full story]

March 19 - 3:40pm EDT   Intel has announced more details on its plans for wireless in Centrino 2 systems, a Taiwanese publication reports. The centerpiece option is its "Echo Peak" module, which combines 802.11n Wi-Fi with support for WiMAX, the company's cellular-like standard that has greater range. This will however come at a significant cost to end users, as Intel is charging OEMs themselves $43 to $54, depending on specifications. [full story]

March 11 - 2:00pm EDT   Despite Intel's aggressive plans to roll out its Centrino 2 mobile platform in June, the company is now set to push back processors suitable for the MacBook Air and for gaming notebooks by as much as three months, a leaked roadmap shows. Contrary to some early expectations, the June release will only focus on processors for the most common notebooks. Two high-performance Core 2 Duo chips at 2.53GHz and 2.8GHz will consume the same 35 watts of power as most current processors; three power-optimized processors at 2.26GHz, 2.4GHz, and 2.53Ghz will be more efficient at 25 watts but share most of the same features as their more demanding siblings, with only a reduction ... [full story]

March 5 - 3:00pm EST   Although long expected, Intel has confirmed that its new notebook platform, codenamed Montevina, is officially being christened as Centrino 2. Systems built under the specification will use 45nm Penryn processors, with clock speeds up to 2.8GHz and normal thermal design power ratings between 25 and 35W. Some processors, though, will use a special compact design like that in the MacBook Air, producing an ultra-low power consumption of 5W. [full story]

February 27 - 11:50am EST   The integrated graphics that form one of the key improvements to Intel's upcoming Centrino 2 notebook platform may perform twice as well as that in current systems, say new leaked benchmarks as well as specifications. While the chipmaker is already known to be upgrading the built-in graphics option with the GMA X4500 when Centrino 2 (nicknamed Montevina) appears in the spring, new tests point to twice the performance in synthetic 3D tests such as 3DMark06. The increase stems both from a redesign as well as sheer clock speed. On the top-end GM47 Express mainboard, the X4500 will be clocked at 640MHz versus just 500MHz for the X3100 used today. [full story]

February 25 - 3:20pm EST   Intel is planning to ramp down production of its now-old Core 2 processors quickly to make room for Centrino 2, notebook manufacturers say. Rather than gradually shut down production of the old chips, the semiconductor firm intends to make the new, faster platform the dominant platform virtually on launch. While its current platform (nicknamed Santa Rosa) is expected to make up about 60 percent of all notebook platform sales for the first quarter of the year, that number will plunge to about 35 percent during the spring as Centrino 2 and its accompanying processors reach the market. [full story]

February 22 - 9:55am EST   Details have surfaced about the final specs and pricing of Intel's first small form factor Montevina platform processors for notebooks that point to the first likely upgrade for the MacBook Air as well as for future ultraportables, say notebook builders. The slip confirms earlier claims and points to two low voltage processors that are now known to be the most likely candidates for the upgrade. The 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo SL9300 and the 1.86GHz SL9400 will be close in clock speed to the existing 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz processors but should still boost performance while reducing the power draw. [full story]

February 18 - 8:25am EST   Intel's next large update to its mobile platform will bring a name change and significantly higher clock speeds, notebook makers claim. While Intel has largely used the original Centrino name for its combination processor, mainboard chipset, and wireless platform since it was first introduced in 2003, the company now intends to formally introduce its Montevina platform as Centrino 2 to more clearly illustrate the technology differences between this and today's Santa Rosa design. The new design is already known to ramp up system bus speed from 800MHz to 1,066MHz and will offer new wireless chipsets, including the option of WiMAX for long-range wireless. [full story]

February 1 - 3:10pm EST   Dell is working on a complete replacement for its Latitude professional notebooks that will compete in design with Apple and Sony models while catering to a business audience, if a leak through Engadget proves accurate. The platform, known so far as the Latitude E-series, would switch out the simple look of the existing D-series models with brushed metal and a one-piece hinge design; 14- and 15.4-inch models should be thinner than past versions thanks to LED backlighting. Smaller 12- and 13.3-inch systems will also exist; neither has been confirmed as using LEDs, but one report has indicated Dell ordering 12-inch LED panels for a future system. [full story]

January 31 - 3:50pm EST   The two unknown companies reported to be using the MacBook Air's processor are Fujitsu and Lenovo, CNET claims to have confirmed. The systems themselves have not been leaked but are expected to roll out "shortly," the alleged sources say. The extra-small packaging of the processor is nonetheless expected to offer a blend between the thinner and smaller designs of ultraportables and the performance of a standard notebook. The chips in use by Apple are clocked slower than most Intel mobile chips at 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz but include the 4MB of Level 2 cache from faster processors and consume much less power on average than current full-size chips. [full story]

January 31 - 10:35am EST   The MacBook Air's custom-made processor should soon be licensed for use by other PC builders, say claims by PC Advisor. A contact allegedly aware of Intel's plans expects at least two unnamed computer builders to use the special Core 2 Duo in systems to be released "soon." The technical details of the notebooks are not described, though the smaller packaging around the processor die is designed to allow smaller overall systems without sacrificing as much performance as the ultra-low voltage chips typically required for subnotebooks. [full story]

January 28 - 3:05pm EST   Confirming some earlier leaks, HP has formally begun using Intel's Penryn processors in a select number of its notebooks. The dv2700t, dv6700t and dv9700t should now all have the option of a 2.5GHz T9300 processor, which has a 6MB L2 cache and is approximately 10 percent faster than a similar chip from Intel's Santa Rosa platform. Choosing a T9300 adds substantially to the cost of a system however, at a price of $225. [full story]

January 25 - 5:10pm EST   The Intel-backed Xohm WiMAX service from Sprint is unlikely to survive as a fourth-generation (4G) cellular Internet standard in the face of its main challenger Long Term Evolution, according to a new analyst report from Maravedis. Although Intel has generally backed the service and expects to make WiMAX a staple of its Montevina notebook platform in mid-year, both troubles inside Sprint and opposition from other cell carriers backing LTE are believed in the report to be sinking Xohm's hopes for future success. [full story]