Wifi Revolution

Chipmaker Intel (News - Alert) has said it is set to fit WiMAX chips into laptops by mid-2008.

 

At its annual developer forum in San Francisco last week, Intel unveiled its plan saying that by the middle of next year Intel will release its updated Centrino laptop chipset, dubbed “Montevina”, which will accommodate both Wi-Fi networking and WiMAX (News - Alert).

Montevina is the codename for a chipset that will provide Wi-Fi and WiMax support in notebooks.

Montevina, which will become the company's next-generation Centrino mobile platform, is based on Intel's 45-nanometer fabrication technology. It will support things like DDR3 memory, Blu-ray and HD-DVD playback, as well as an integrated Wi-Fi/WiMax module.

In a statement issued on Friday, David Perlmutter, Intel senior vice president (Mobility Group), said, “Intel is the undisputed market leader today with notebook PCs by providing consumers with what they want in performance, battery life and a fully loaded internet experience. Mobile users have an insatiable appetite for and want even more mobility, connectivity and a full Internet on their smaller devices. Intel will satisfy those needs by delivering our latest 45nm processors and WiMAX to notebooks.”

Intel’s Montevina platform-based laptops will feature code-named Echo Peak Wi-Fi/WiMAX controller combo or code-named Shirley Peak Wi-Fi controller.

Montevina notebooks will be faster and feature low-power as well as support for the latest optical storage standards. It will also presumably be ready to connect with the latest wireless networks out of the box.

Laptop makers that have agreed to ship notebooks with Montevina include Lenovo, Acer, Asus, Panasonic and Toshiba (News - Alert).

Montevina will be Intel's first Centrino processor technology for notebooks to offer the option of integrated Wi-Fi and WiMAX wireless technologies for greater wireless broadband access.

 

 

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