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Banias - now "Centrino" to be new "mobile Intel" logo

Will it have Wifi? or something faster? Optimistically, Intel's "Banias" chipset was due to revolutionise mobile PC technology in the first quarter of this year; that optimism has slipped slightly, and the newly-named "Centrino" brand will ship "in the first half" according to the latest pronouncement.

Intel Corporation today officially unveiled the name of "Centrino mobile technology" as the new brand name for its upcoming wireless mobile computing technology.

But the wireless part is still under wraps, with no more clue to its exact nature than (802.11 (Wi-Fi) to suggest that it should still be the 11 megabit standard in current use - a prospect most observers think either "unlikely" or "daft" given the worldwide availabililty of dual-standard 11a and 11b chip sets already, and the parallel headlong rush to implement 802.11g.

The new brand "signifies Intel's best technology for notebook computers, based on a new mobile processor microarchitecture and wireless capability as well as features designed to enable extended battery life, thinner and lighter form factors, and outstanding mobile performance," said the announcement.

"The technologies represented by the Centrino brand will include a microprocessor (formerly code-named "Banias"), related chipsets and 802.11 (WiFi) wireless networking capability. These components are designed, optimized and validated by Intel to maximize the wireless mobile computing experience. The Centrino brand marks the first time Intel has branded a combination of technologies under one name."

Centrino mobile technology is planned for introduction in the first half of this year. That's normally taken to mean "slightly before July" which is somewhat later than Intel was predicting six months ago - but that cat won't stir any pigeons. What will be interesting, will be to see how tightly integrated the wireless technology will be; and how easily it can be made multi-standard.

Intel is working on a hardware solution to wireless, which will be a totally programmable CMOS chip, capable of running at varying speeds, including GSM frequencies; but that's not expected for some years yet. Best bet is that Centrino will be able to run at both 11a and 11b speeds, with upgrades to 11g (or equivalents) being left to the PC Card slot in notebooks.

"The Centrino brand signifies a new generation of mobile PCs that will change where and how people compute," said Pam Pollace, Intel vice president and director, Corporate Marketing Group. "Whether at work, at home, at an airport or a cafe, Centrino mobile technology will bring the freedom and flexibility of being unwired."

The new logo, "featuring a striking magenta color and a completely new shape, suggests flight, mobility, and forward movement," proclaimed the company. Flight and forward movement always struck most people as opposite directions; it's going to be fun to see which ...