IDF: Intel Outlines Next-Gen Centrino, Pushes Mobile WiMax

After briefly discussing recent computing and Internet trends (using an Intel-powered iMac for the first time), Sean Maloney from Intel's Mobility Group outlined some of Intel's plans for the next generation of its Centrino mobile computing platform.

The new Centrino platform has been codenamed Santa Rosa and is set to launch early next year. It will feature a revised chipset dubbed Crestline (with improved graphics), a new mobile dual core processor currently known as Merom (slated to be available later this year) and a revamped wireless chip called Kedron that will support the yet-to-be ratified 802.11n MIMO wireless networking standard.



The Santa Rosa/Centrino platform will also be the first time Intel implements its NAND flash memory technology (dubbed Robson) into shipping notebooks. In the keynote demonstration, the cache technology truly appeared to help a notebook boot into Windows and load applications much, much faster and it's also touted to reduce power consumption. You can see early Santa Rosa-based prototypes from Dell, Samsung and Sony in the pic above.

Maloney also held up what he claimed was the first integrated chip to support both Wi-Fi and WiMax. In addition, he said Intel expects 2.3-2.5GHz Mobile WiMax PC Cards to be available for notebook users in the second half of this year (see image below, left).



Finally, the audience was also treated to the customary look at Intel's latest notebook form factor concepts. One model's display could detach completely from its base while another (pictured above, right) had a screen that slides from the front to the back of the notebook.

For more details on Intel's Tuesday IDF announcements, see our news story here.