Intel Launches Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology
New Capabilities Unwire Mobile PCs to Change Where and How People Compute and Communicate
Intel Corporation today introduced Intel® Centrino™ 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 optimised, 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 fundamentally change the way people use computers, allowing them to communicate, be productive or
be entertained wherever and whenever they want,” said Craig Barrett, Intel 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 WiFi hotspot deployments, brings computing and
communications capabilities to businesses and consumers, adding new 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 US$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® mark.
Accelerating “Hotspot” Deployment Worldwide Hotspots -- locations where users can connect using 802.11 wireless
technology -- are on the rise which is 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 a truly mobile notebook computer can change the way people live. With notebooks based on Intel Centrino mobile
technology, a business traveller 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 all
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 standardised 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 US$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
Pentium® M processor, the Intel® 855 Chipset Family and the Intel® PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Connection. All components
were optimised, validated and tested to work together with mobility in mind.
The processor is based on a new mobile optimised microarchitecture that delivers higher performance and lower power
consumption, to enable longer battery life over 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 optimised 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® SpeedStep® 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® 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 WiFi
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® 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™ devices.
Measuring Mobile Performance And Battery Life As measured by MobileMark™ 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® Pentium® III processor-M-based system and about
3 hours on mobile Intel® Pentium® 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 1.2GHz, and a 15 percent improvement compared to the mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor-M 2.4GHz system.
In addition, consumers using Intel Centrino mobile technology will find 59 percent better performance in their Internet
experience as measured by the WebMark* benchmark when compared to the mobile Intel® Pentium® III 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 US$720, $506, $377, $292
respectively in 1,000 unit quantities. Intel Centrino mobile technology also is available in a low voltage processor at
1.10GHz and an ultra-low-voltage processor at 900MHz priced at US$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.