Intel's Centrino 2 to arrive in June

Confused by all the Centrino, Core Solo, Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, and Celeron notebook terminology? Well, things are about to get even trickier. Come June, Intel will launch its latest notebook platform, and now it has an official name: Centrino 2.

Centrino has been the name of Intel's mobile platform since 2003. It is currently in its fourth revision under the same moniker, though the centerpiece of Centrino, the "Penryn," 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo CPU, is arriving soon on the market. WIth Centrino 2, the other Centrino components, including Intel's integrated graphics chips, wireless modules, and other chips on the motherboard, will almost all be getting an upgrade, too.

Centrino 2 (code-named as "Montevina," which you'll also hear bandied about a lot) is probably Intel's most noteworthy laptop upgrade since it rolled out the Core Duo CPU in 2006, which finally brought dual-core technology to laptops and cemented Intel in the lead in the notebook market. The Penryn update represents a major milestone for the company, innovating a microchip that runs cooler and faster while drawing less power than before. You'll hear a lot about "hafnium" and "High-K" technology in the coming months. Average users really don't need to worry about what those terms mean; the upshot is that your laptop should run longer and keep your thighs cooler if you purchase a Centrino 2 machine.

Bottom line: I rarely tell people to hold off on computer purchases, because there's always something better just around the corner no matter when you buy, but the advances in Centrino 2 really do look like they're worth waiting for, and if you can hold out a few months until Centrino 2 notebooks are shipping, I really think it will be worth the wait.

LINK: Intel "Centrino 2" Coming in June 

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