Centrino: New reason to dump your old notebook<\/p>\n
Zatni Arbi, Columnist, Jakarta, zatni@cbn.net.id<\/p>\n
Remember Moore's Law? Gordon Moore, the cofounder of chipmaker
\nIntel, made an observation in 1965 that the number of transistors
\nthat could be stuffed into a microprocessor would double every 18
\nmonths, virtually doubling the power of the microprocessor.
\nIn reality, this has frequently been achieved in less than that.<\/p>\n
My first PC ever, an IBM PS\/2 Model 30, ran on an Intel 8086
\nprocessor. The chip contained around 29,000 transistors. My next
\nPC, a 386DX machine, had a processor that contained 275,000
\ntransistors. According to Intel, the 8086 first appeared in 1978,
\nwhile the 80386 was first manufactured in 1985. Today, each of
\nthe latest Mobile Pentium 4 M processors contains 77 million
\ntransistors. Not surprisingly, we have all come to accept Moore's
\nobservation as a law.<\/p>\n
Actually, it was not only the number of transistors that made
\nthe microprocessor increasingly powerful. There is the
\napplication of new technologies that has made the entire system
\noperation more efficient. Remember technologies such as MMX,
\nStreaming SIMD and, recently, Hyper-Threading? Last week, Intel
\nagain introduced a new mobile microprocessor with new
\ntechnologies -- even the integration of wireless networking
\ncapability -- into a package called Centrino.<\/p>\n
* Mobile needs<\/p>\n
Clearly, a notebook has additional requirements when compared
\nwith its desktop brother. Due to the notebook's much smaller form
\nfactor, it has to be smaller and it has to produce far less heat.
\nIn addition, because it is a mobile device, it should consume the
\nleast power possible. That is why Intel has designed a mobile
\nversion of its Pentium III and Pentium 4 processors that we find
\nin most of today's notebooks. You will recognize the processors
\nby the \"M\" in their specification.<\/p>\n
You must have learned, too, that there are on the market
\nnotebooks that have been built using desktop components and are
\noffered at a much more affordable price. However, since the
\ndesktop processors are not made with mobility requirements in
\nmind, I have never considered them as serious notebooks.<\/p>\n
What made Intel's latest mobile processor so special was that
\nthey reduced power consumption even further, and made the
\nprocessor run cooler and more efficiently. Then Intel packaged
\nthe new Pentium 4 M processor with a new 855 chipset and a
\nwireless networking module, chose the name Centrino and created a
\nnew logo.<\/p>\n
At the time the processor was launched throughout Asia, a
\nnumber of notebook makers announced the availability of their
\nCentrino-based products. The list included big names such as IBM,
\nToshiba, Dell, Compaq, Gateway and ASUS. I was lucky to have my
\nhands on a Centrino-based Acer TravelMate 800 two days before
\nIntel's announcement. Acer was one of the first notebook makers
\nwhose products were ready on the day the Centrino processor was
\nlaunched.<\/p>\n
Centrino may not boast the high clock speeds that its
\npredecessor did. A media release from Intel mentioned that the
\nnew Pentium 4 M processors that form part of the Centrino package
\nare available with 1.6, 1.5, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, 1.1 GHz and even 900
\nMHz speed. However, the integration of new technologies enables
\nthem to perform on a par with or even better than the older
\nPentium 4 M processors.<\/p>\n
* Wi-Fi and Hot Spots<\/p>\n
Since hot spots are not yet widely available here in Jakarta
\n-- Starbucks Coffee does not have them yet, I have not been able
\nto test the Wi-Fi capability of Acer's Centrino TravelMate 800
\nhigh-end notebook. Luckily, I am scheduled to go to Singapore
\nthis week, and I will be able to try it out at Changi Airport as
\nwell as in Suntec City.<\/p>\n
The integration of Wi-Fi into Intel's processor package is
\nreally a boon to mobile workers. With a Centrino notebook, the
\ndream that we can access our company's LAN or access the Internet
\nfrom anywhere has become so much closer to reality. However, keep
\nin mind that, if you are not planning to replace your current
\nnotebook just yet, you can still buy a Wi-Fi module offered by
\nother vendors. ASUS, for example, offers its WL-100, a 802.11b
\nwireless LAN PC Card, at US$84. NetGear also has a similar
\nproduct that offers Wi-Fi connection with a maximum speed of 11
\nMbps.<\/p>\n
The more compelling reason for buying a Centrino notebook is
\nperhaps the longer battery life. Again, I have not had the chance
\nto test the battery performance of the Acer TravelMate 800, but a
\nreport in ZDNet says that it can last for more than five hours.
\nIBM ThinkPad T40, which will be launched shortly, boasts a seven-
\nhour battery life (unfortunately it still has a $3,500 street
\nprice). Nevertheless, I would certainly appreciate being able to
\nwork for five hours without having to find an outlet.<\/p>\n
* Wi Fi at 30,000 feet?<\/p>\n
I have a question, though. With the proliferation of notebooks
\nwith Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities already integrated, should
\nwe still be allowed to power them up while our planes are up in
\nthe sky? If they do not allow us to use cell phones because \"it
\nmay interfere with the aircraft's navigation system\", then why
\nshould they allow us to turn on our notebooks, knowing that we
\nmay accidentally press the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth button?<\/p>\n
Or, is it true, then, what many us have suspected: They have
\nalways told us to switch off our cell phones the moment we
\nentered the airplane's door since the thought of having 200
\npeople quacking \"Goodbye\", \"I'll call you as soon as we land\",
\nand \"Don't forget to pay the bills tomorrow!\" on their cell
\nphones at the same time inside the packed passenger cabin would
\nbe simply too unbearable?<\/p>",
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