HP, MTV and AMD today named Hisako Sakihama, a 27-year-old designer from Japan, the winner of its “Engine Room” Notebook Design Contest – a worldwide competition to design the next HP “artist edition” notebook PC.
Sakihama’s design of sea and sky in Okinawa was chosen as the grand prize winner from the regional finalists by a judges panel composed of regional heads of creative at MTV, art directors at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, and industrial design managers at HP. The design will be featured on an HP limited-edition notebook PC featuring the AMD Turion X2 Ultra™ notebook platform later this year.
The regional finalists received the most votes and represent the top designs from Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. To view the winning designs, visit www.mtvengineroom.com.
This year, artists from 94 countries submitted nearly 17,000 designs with the hopes that their art would be displayed on an HP notebook PC. More than 62,000 votes were received from 159 countries, making the Engine Room Notebook design contest one of the most successful user-generated contests from HP to date.
This year’s regional finalists include Rodrigo Daniel Diaz from Argentina, Carlos Alonso Zebenzuy from Spain, Abhishek Goswami from India, and Stacy Pezzola from the United States. The regional finalists will have their art transformed into notebook attachable “skins” from SkinIt, which will be made available to consumers around the world.
“The response we’ve received from creative people around the world has been astounding,” said David Roman, vice president, Marketing Communications, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Design is one of the most personal ways we communicate with each other. It’s evident from these winning designs that there are some very talented young artists out there. We look forward to delivering the next-generation HP ‘artist edition’ notebook PC designed by Hisako Sakihama.”
People who visited the “Engine Room” website and voted for their favorite design were automatically entered in a sweepstakes to win technology prizes from HP.
“As the processing power behind today’s most advanced visual computing experiences like gaming and HD video, AMD understands the importance of stunning images,” said Nigel Dessau, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, AMD. “In partnering with leading global brands like HP and MTV, AMD brings notebook inner beauty and performance to match the inspired creativity of the artists participating in the notebook design challenge.”
HP’s “Engine Room”
“Engine Room” is a series of challenges created by HP and partners in which young artists from around the world can showcase their creativity and bring art to life with technology.
The first series of “Engine Room” challenges brought together four teams of digital artists from Latin America, Europe, Asia and North America to compete on an original, short-form online series that aired on mtvU – MTV’s college network – and on MTV channels around the world. At the conclusion of the “Engine Room” series on MTV, host Suchin Pak announced the latest digital artistry challenge – the HP, AMD “Engine Room” notebook design challenge. Stay tuned for additional “Engine Room” challenges from HP in 2009.
EDS, an HP company, today announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded EDS subsidiary NHIC Corp. a contract to administer Part A and Part B Medicare claims payments for health care providers in five northeastern states.
The contract is worth $176 million if all options are exercised for the next five years.
The Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Jurisdiction 14 contract will help streamline Part A and Part B Medicare claims processing work done in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont (Jurisdiction 14). The contract will serve approximately 1.7 million Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, almost 80,000 physicians and practitioners, and 220 Medicare hospitals in Jurisdiction 14.
NHIC will serve as the first point of contact for the processing and payment of Medicare fee-for-service claims from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, physicians and other health care providers within Jurisdiction 14. NHIC will assume full responsibility for the claims processing work that is currently performed by three fiscal intermediaries and two carriers.
NHIC also will administer Medicare claims filed by home health and hospice providers in the five Jurisdiction 14 states, as well as Connecticut. Additionally, NHIC will provide educational services to providers and state medical associations about claims transfers.
National Government Services, Inc. was selected as a subcontractor to deliver home health claims and institutional provider payment processing support and expertise.
The contract will help CMS fulfill the contracting requirements of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, which requires the agency to transition Medicare fee-for-service claims from fiscal intermediaries and carriers to Medicare Administrative Contractors.
NHIC will provide education and information regarding the transition to Medicare providers and provider associations in Jurisdiction 14 via mailings, email distribution and website publications. NHIC will host webinars and conference calls and provide a toll free hotline to support various transition activities.
“The breadth of skills and experience from EDS subsidiary NHIC will help CMS achieve its goal of consolidating its benefits processing operations while saving money, promoting innovation and realizing operational efficiencies,” said Dennis Stolkey, senior vice president of U.S. Public Sector at EDS, an HP company. “EDS has been a CMS Medicare partner since 1965, and this opportunity allows us to provide additional technical support for Medicare.”
NHIC currently supports CMS as a Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractor in 11 northeastern states and the District of Columbia, and it administers Medicare Part B claim payments as a Medicare contractor in New England.
With more than 7,000 health care experts supporting clients in 30 countries, EDS has provided support services to Medicare and Medicaid clients for more than 40 years. It now processes more than 270 million Medicare claims and about 1 billion Medicaid claims per year. EDS provides an array of technology services for CMS and Medicare contractors, including data center services, maintenance of the Medicare Part B system, and non-base system support.
The contract is worth $176 million if all options are exercised for the next five years.
The Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Jurisdiction 14 contract will help streamline Part A and Part B Medicare claims processing work done in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont (Jurisdiction 14). The contract will serve approximately 1.7 million Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, almost 80,000 physicians and practitioners, and 220 Medicare hospitals in Jurisdiction 14.
NHIC will serve as the first point of contact for the processing and payment of Medicare fee-for-service claims from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, physicians and other health care providers within Jurisdiction 14. NHIC will assume full responsibility for the claims processing work that is currently performed by three fiscal intermediaries and two carriers.
NHIC also will administer Medicare claims filed by home health and hospice providers in the five Jurisdiction 14 states, as well as Connecticut. Additionally, NHIC will provide educational services to providers and state medical associations about claims transfers.
National Government Services, Inc. was selected as a subcontractor to deliver home health claims and institutional provider payment processing support and expertise.
The contract will help CMS fulfill the contracting requirements of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, which requires the agency to transition Medicare fee-for-service claims from fiscal intermediaries and carriers to Medicare Administrative Contractors.
NHIC will provide education and information regarding the transition to Medicare providers and provider associations in Jurisdiction 14 via mailings, email distribution and website publications. NHIC will host webinars and conference calls and provide a toll free hotline to support various transition activities.
“The breadth of skills and experience from EDS subsidiary NHIC will help CMS achieve its goal of consolidating its benefits processing operations while saving money, promoting innovation and realizing operational efficiencies,” said Dennis Stolkey, senior vice president of U.S. Public Sector at EDS, an HP company. “EDS has been a CMS Medicare partner since 1965, and this opportunity allows us to provide additional technical support for Medicare.”
NHIC currently supports CMS as a Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractor in 11 northeastern states and the District of Columbia, and it administers Medicare Part B claim payments as a Medicare contractor in New England.
With more than 7,000 health care experts supporting clients in 30 countries, EDS has provided support services to Medicare and Medicaid clients for more than 40 years. It now processes more than 270 million Medicare claims and about 1 billion Medicaid claims per year. EDS provides an array of technology services for CMS and Medicare contractors, including data center services, maintenance of the Medicare Part B system, and non-base system support.
HP Takes Lead from IBM on TOP500 Supercomputing Lis
For the second consecutive year, the powerful and energy-efficient HP BladeSystem c-Class server has dominated the TOP500 list of the world’s largest supercomputing installations by delivering a flexible architecture that provides customers with measurable cost, space and energy savings.
Including systems built on HP ProLiant architectures, HP now commands a total of 41.8 percent of systems on the TOP500 list, while IBM slipped to 37.6 percent.
HP BladeSystem powers 40.2 percent of the systems on the most recently announced list; this represents more blade installations than all other vendors combined. Versatile, energy-efficient and affordable, HP blade servers provide customers with the maximum density required for high-performance and scale-out computing.
With 201 placements, the number of HP BladeSystem servers on the TOP500 list has increased by 5 percentage points compared to the June 2008 ranking and by 10 percentage points compared to June 2007. The number of high-performance computing (HPC) installations using blade servers on the TOP500 list has increased more than any other single computing architecture. In fact, blade-powered systems are increasingly replacing proprietary systems in the HPC area and legacy mainframe architectures in commercial environments.
“Customers can maximize their high-performance computing investments while increasing energy efficiency with blades, clearly improving their bottom line,” said Christine Martino, vice president and general manager, Scalable Computing and Infrastructure organization, HP. “The continued dominance of HP BladeSystem customers on the TOP500 list demonstrates the growing market demand for industry-standard architectures that address a broader set of computing challenges at a far lower cost than proprietary systems and mainframes.”
Emphasizing the strong momentum of HP blade technology in the market, the HP ProLiant BL2x220c G5 powers several of the most power efficient industry-standard supercomputing clusters, including WETA Digital Ltd. in New Zealand, Cyfronet in Poland and Columbia University in New York City. The BL2x220C G5 delivers up to 260 megaflops-per-watt ratio(1) running the TOP 500 Linpack Benchmark across a single, 32-node enclosure.
This performance benefit, coupled with 14 placements on the TOP500, positions the HP BL2x220c as the leading server blade for customers that need maximum application performance without the additional infrastructure costs.
According to IDC’s worldwide HPC server Qview report, HP is the leading provider of HPC servers with 37 percent of the overall market based on revenue in the second quarter of 2008.(2)
“Over the last several years, we’ve seen an explosive growth of blade servers for a widening range of high-performance computing applications – from digital media creation and online gaming to more traditional HPC applications such as computer-aided design,” said Earl Joseph, program vice president, High-performance Computing, IDC Research. “Previously, customers’ only choice for HPC was a high-end, multi-million dollar supercomputer. Now, blades offer a highly flexible, scalable, lower-budget alternative to the proprietary systems that historically dominated the TOP500 list.”
Including systems built on HP ProLiant architectures, HP now commands a total of 41.8 percent of systems on the TOP500 list, while IBM slipped to 37.6 percent.
HP BladeSystem powers 40.2 percent of the systems on the most recently announced list; this represents more blade installations than all other vendors combined. Versatile, energy-efficient and affordable, HP blade servers provide customers with the maximum density required for high-performance and scale-out computing.
With 201 placements, the number of HP BladeSystem servers on the TOP500 list has increased by 5 percentage points compared to the June 2008 ranking and by 10 percentage points compared to June 2007. The number of high-performance computing (HPC) installations using blade servers on the TOP500 list has increased more than any other single computing architecture. In fact, blade-powered systems are increasingly replacing proprietary systems in the HPC area and legacy mainframe architectures in commercial environments.
“Customers can maximize their high-performance computing investments while increasing energy efficiency with blades, clearly improving their bottom line,” said Christine Martino, vice president and general manager, Scalable Computing and Infrastructure organization, HP. “The continued dominance of HP BladeSystem customers on the TOP500 list demonstrates the growing market demand for industry-standard architectures that address a broader set of computing challenges at a far lower cost than proprietary systems and mainframes.”
Emphasizing the strong momentum of HP blade technology in the market, the HP ProLiant BL2x220c G5 powers several of the most power efficient industry-standard supercomputing clusters, including WETA Digital Ltd. in New Zealand, Cyfronet in Poland and Columbia University in New York City. The BL2x220C G5 delivers up to 260 megaflops-per-watt ratio(1) running the TOP 500 Linpack Benchmark across a single, 32-node enclosure.
This performance benefit, coupled with 14 placements on the TOP500, positions the HP BL2x220c as the leading server blade for customers that need maximum application performance without the additional infrastructure costs.
According to IDC’s worldwide HPC server Qview report, HP is the leading provider of HPC servers with 37 percent of the overall market based on revenue in the second quarter of 2008.(2)
“Over the last several years, we’ve seen an explosive growth of blade servers for a widening range of high-performance computing applications – from digital media creation and online gaming to more traditional HPC applications such as computer-aided design,” said Earl Joseph, program vice president, High-performance Computing, IDC Research. “Previously, customers’ only choice for HPC was a high-end, multi-million dollar supercomputer. Now, blades offer a highly flexible, scalable, lower-budget alternative to the proprietary systems that historically dominated the TOP500 list.”
HP Board Declares Regular Dividend, Sets Annual Meeting and Record Dates
On Nov. 20, 2008, the HP board of directors declared a regular cash dividend of 8 cents per share on the company’s common stock.
The dividend, the first in HP’s fiscal year 2009, is payable on Jan. 7, 2009, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 17, 2008.
HP has approximately 2.5 billion shares of common stock outstanding.
HP also established a record date for its 2009 annual meeting of stockholders. HP stockholders of record at the close of business on Jan. 20, 2009, will be entitled to notice of the annual meeting and to vote upon matters considered at the meeting. The annual meeting will be held in Santa Clara, Calif., on March 18, 2009.
HP will make available to all stockholders of record important information about the meeting and the matters to be considered. Stockholders are urged to review that information when it becomes available.
The dividend, the first in HP’s fiscal year 2009, is payable on Jan. 7, 2009, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 17, 2008.
HP has approximately 2.5 billion shares of common stock outstanding.
HP also established a record date for its 2009 annual meeting of stockholders. HP stockholders of record at the close of business on Jan. 20, 2009, will be entitled to notice of the annual meeting and to vote upon matters considered at the meeting. The annual meeting will be held in Santa Clara, Calif., on March 18, 2009.
HP will make available to all stockholders of record important information about the meeting and the matters to be considered. Stockholders are urged to review that information when it becomes available.
AMD Announces Quad FX Platform
AMD has launched the "Quad FX Platform" with Dual Socket Direct Connect (DSDC) Architecture, regarded as the supreme platform for mega-tasking.
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AMD has launched the "Quad FX Platform" with Dual Socket Direct Connect (DSDC) Architecture.
Regarded as the supreme platform for mega-tasking enthusiasts by AMD, Quad FX Platform is the first dual-socket, multi-core desktop PC platform designed to take advantage of the latest enhancements in Windows Vista Ultimate.
The new platform is powered by pairs of AMD Athlon 64 FX-70 series dual-core processors, which is the newest addition to the award-winning AMD Athlon 64 FX processor lineup. These processors will help users make the most of their overall computing experience, while gaming, editing audio/video, and streaming high-definition content.
DSDC Architecture enables high-bandwidth communication between matched pairs of AMD Athlon 64 FX-70, AMD Athlon 64 FX-72, and AMD Athlon 64 FX-74 dual-core processors. Enthusiasts can benefit from having twice the number of processor cores due to a dual-socket configuration.
According to AMD, the Quad FX Platform has been designed to meet the enhanced PC experiences made possible by Microsoft Windows Vista, and also for the software industry that is moving towards multi-threading environment that involves running multiple, demanding applications and multi-threaded games.
Apart from the Dual Socket Direct Connect Architecture, the platform also has support for a seamless upgrade path to a total of eight processing cores with planned AMD native quad-core processors in 2007.
With AMD64 technology and Dual Socket Direct Connect Architecture, the new AMD Quad FX Platform offers scaleable performance enhancements on a personal workstation powered by AMD Athlon 64 FX processors. It is designed with next-gen platform innovations such as high-performance, low-latency unbuffered DDR2 memory and for Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) support with compatible operating systems.
In addition, Nvidia is the chipset and multi-GPU launch partner for the Quad FX platform. The GeForce 8 series of graphics processing units and the nForce 680a media and communications processor have been used in the new platform, which will help deliver an ideal solution for mega-tasking enthusiasts.
The AMD Quad FX Platform promises to offer enthusiasts absolute performance, flexibility, and customization by including features like twelve SATA controllers designed to enable up to nine terabytes of storage using currently available drive technologies (for over 450 high-definition movies), and increased spacing between PCI-E slots to accommodate up to four high-performance graphics cards.
AMD claims infinite options with the new platform to tweak the custom systems, including the ability to drive four or even eight monitors at the same time when using up to four PCI-E graphics cards.
The new AMD Athlon 64 FX-70, FX-72, and FX-74 dual-core processors will be available in pairs at a price of $599 (Rs 26,764); $799 (Rs 35,699); and $999 (Rs 44,635) respectively for PIB (Processor in Box).
AMD Athlon 64 FX-70 series dual-core processors are expected to be available world-wide by early 2007.
AMD has launched the "Quad FX Platform" with Dual Socket Direct Connect (DSDC) Architecture.
Regarded as the supreme platform for mega-tasking enthusiasts by AMD, Quad FX Platform is the first dual-socket, multi-core desktop PC platform designed to take advantage of the latest enhancements in Windows Vista Ultimate.
The new platform is powered by pairs of AMD Athlon 64 FX-70 series dual-core processors, which is the newest addition to the award-winning AMD Athlon 64 FX processor lineup. These processors will help users make the most of their overall computing experience, while gaming, editing audio/video, and streaming high-definition content.
DSDC Architecture enables high-bandwidth communication between matched pairs of AMD Athlon 64 FX-70, AMD Athlon 64 FX-72, and AMD Athlon 64 FX-74 dual-core processors. Enthusiasts can benefit from having twice the number of processor cores due to a dual-socket configuration.
According to AMD, the Quad FX Platform has been designed to meet the enhanced PC experiences made possible by Microsoft Windows Vista, and also for the software industry that is moving towards multi-threading environment that involves running multiple, demanding applications and multi-threaded games.
Apart from the Dual Socket Direct Connect Architecture, the platform also has support for a seamless upgrade path to a total of eight processing cores with planned AMD native quad-core processors in 2007.
With AMD64 technology and Dual Socket Direct Connect Architecture, the new AMD Quad FX Platform offers scaleable performance enhancements on a personal workstation powered by AMD Athlon 64 FX processors. It is designed with next-gen platform innovations such as high-performance, low-latency unbuffered DDR2 memory and for Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) support with compatible operating systems.
In addition, Nvidia is the chipset and multi-GPU launch partner for the Quad FX platform. The GeForce 8 series of graphics processing units and the nForce 680a media and communications processor have been used in the new platform, which will help deliver an ideal solution for mega-tasking enthusiasts.
The AMD Quad FX Platform promises to offer enthusiasts absolute performance, flexibility, and customization by including features like twelve SATA controllers designed to enable up to nine terabytes of storage using currently available drive technologies (for over 450 high-definition movies), and increased spacing between PCI-E slots to accommodate up to four high-performance graphics cards.
AMD claims infinite options with the new platform to tweak the custom systems, including the ability to drive four or even eight monitors at the same time when using up to four PCI-E graphics cards.
The new AMD Athlon 64 FX-70, FX-72, and FX-74 dual-core processors will be available in pairs at a price of $599 (Rs 26,764); $799 (Rs 35,699); and $999 (Rs 44,635) respectively for PIB (Processor in Box).
AMD Athlon 64 FX-70 series dual-core processors are expected to be available world-wide by early 2007.
Dell: Key Priorities, Increased Competitiveness Accelerating Growth :-
Dell Continues To Grow Units Faster Than the Industry
Dell’s enhanced product portfolio and competitiveness are driving renewed growth worldwide, Michael Dell, chairman and CEO, and Brian Gladden, Dell chief financial officer, told shareholders today at the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
Mr. Dell reviewed progress the company is making in its five growth priorities, including, the fastest growth in the industry during Q1 in consumer units and becoming the No. 1 choice of consumers for desktops and laptops in a survey by the Frost & Sullivan analyst firm; growth worldwide in notebooks; industry-leading growth in servers and storage products for data centers; 58 percent revenue growth year over year in the fiscal first quarter in emerging countries; and, the most shipments of desktops, laptops and servers to small and medium businesses globally in a single quarter of Dell’s history.
“Preliminary industry data shows we continue to grow units faster than the industry in the second calendar quarter,” Mr. Dell said. “Renewed product innovation and leadership with all products and services have accelerated our growth across the world. From the desktop to the datacenter, from consumers to our biggest corporate customers, we are listening and positioning Dell to win as the next billion people come online in the Connected Era.”
Mr. Gladden told shareholders that Dell also continues to improve its cost competitiveness as it works toward a target of $3 billion in annualized savings by the end of fiscal 2011.
“Operationally, our focus remains on growing faster than the industry; increasing revenue, profitability and cash flow,” Mr. Gladden said.
“Over the past four quarters, we have generated $4.2 billion in cash flow from operations; $3.4 billion in operating income; and, $62.5 billion in revenue. Going forward, we are committed to driving liquidity, profitability and growth and we believe we are making decisions that will deliver the best long-term results and greatest shareholder value.”
In formal business at today’s meeting, shareholders: Re-elected 11 company directors: Donald J. Carty; Michael S. Dell; William H. Gray, III; Sallie L. Krawcheck; Alan (A.G.) Lafley; Judy C. Lewent; Thomas W. Luce, III; Klaus S. Luft; Alex J. Mandl; Michael A. Miles; and, Samuel A. Nunn, Jr.
Rejected a shareholder proposal regarding reimbursement of proxy expenses;
Rejected a shareholder proposal regarding an advisory vote on executive compensation;
Approved a proposal regarding an executive annual incentive bonus plan; and,
Ratified PricewaterhouseCooper’s LLP as Dell’s independent auditor for fiscal 2009.
Dell’s enhanced product portfolio and competitiveness are driving renewed growth worldwide, Michael Dell, chairman and CEO, and Brian Gladden, Dell chief financial officer, told shareholders today at the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
Mr. Dell reviewed progress the company is making in its five growth priorities, including, the fastest growth in the industry during Q1 in consumer units and becoming the No. 1 choice of consumers for desktops and laptops in a survey by the Frost & Sullivan analyst firm; growth worldwide in notebooks; industry-leading growth in servers and storage products for data centers; 58 percent revenue growth year over year in the fiscal first quarter in emerging countries; and, the most shipments of desktops, laptops and servers to small and medium businesses globally in a single quarter of Dell’s history.
“Preliminary industry data shows we continue to grow units faster than the industry in the second calendar quarter,” Mr. Dell said. “Renewed product innovation and leadership with all products and services have accelerated our growth across the world. From the desktop to the datacenter, from consumers to our biggest corporate customers, we are listening and positioning Dell to win as the next billion people come online in the Connected Era.”
Mr. Gladden told shareholders that Dell also continues to improve its cost competitiveness as it works toward a target of $3 billion in annualized savings by the end of fiscal 2011.
“Operationally, our focus remains on growing faster than the industry; increasing revenue, profitability and cash flow,” Mr. Gladden said.
“Over the past four quarters, we have generated $4.2 billion in cash flow from operations; $3.4 billion in operating income; and, $62.5 billion in revenue. Going forward, we are committed to driving liquidity, profitability and growth and we believe we are making decisions that will deliver the best long-term results and greatest shareholder value.”
In formal business at today’s meeting, shareholders: Re-elected 11 company directors: Donald J. Carty; Michael S. Dell; William H. Gray, III; Sallie L. Krawcheck; Alan (A.G.) Lafley; Judy C. Lewent; Thomas W. Luce, III; Klaus S. Luft; Alex J. Mandl; Michael A. Miles; and, Samuel A. Nunn, Jr.
Rejected a shareholder proposal regarding reimbursement of proxy expenses;
Rejected a shareholder proposal regarding an advisory vote on executive compensation;
Approved a proposal regarding an executive annual incentive bonus plan; and,
Ratified PricewaterhouseCooper’s LLP as Dell’s independent auditor for fiscal 2009.
Centrino
Centrino
Centrino, a platform-marketing initiative from Intel, covers a particular combination of CPU, mainboard chipset and wireless network interface in the design of a laptop personal computer. Intel claimed that systems equipped with these technologies should deliver better performance, longer battery life and broad wireless network interoperability.
To qualify for a Centrino label, laptop vendors must use all three Intel qualified parts, otherwise using only the processor and chipset will carry the Intel Core label instead.
Carmel platform (2003)
Intel used Carmel as the code name for the first-generation Centrino platform introduced in March 2003.
The Carmel platform consists of:
an Intel Pentium M processor (code-named Banias or later Dothan) with a 400 MT/s FSB, Socket 478 and
an Intel 855 series chipset (code-named Odem or Montara with Intel Extreme Graphics 2), DDR-266 and
an Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 or later 2200 (IEEE 802.11b) mini-PCI Wi-Fi adapter (code-named Calexico or Calexico2).
Industry-watchers initially criticized the Carmel platform for its lack of an IEEE 802.11g-solution, because many independent Wi-Fi chip-makers like Broadcom and Atheros had already started shipping 802.11g products. Intel responded that the IEEE had not finalized the 802.11g standard at the time of Carmel's launch, and that it did not want to launch products not based on a finalized standard.
In early 2004, after the finalization of the 802.11g standard, Intel permitted an Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG (code-named Calexico2) to substitute for the 2100. At the same time, they permitted the new Dothan Pentium M to substitute for the Banias Pentium M. Initially, Intel permitted only the 855GM chipset, which did not support external graphics. Later, Intel allowed the 855GME and 855PM chips, which did support external graphics, in Centrino notebooks.
Despite criticisms, the Carmel platform won quick acceptance among OEMs and consumers. Carmel could attain or exceed the performance of older Pentium 4-M platforms, while allowing for notebooks to operate for 4 to 5 hours on a 48 W-h battery. Carmel also allowed notebook-manufacturers to create thinner and lighter notebooks because its components did not dissipate much heat, and thus did not require large cooling systems
Sonoma platform (2005)
Intel used Sonoma as the code name for the second-generation Centrino platform, introduced in January 2005.
The Sonoma platform consists of:
an Intel Pentium M processor (code-named Dothan) with a 533 MT/s FSB, Socket 479 and
an Intel Mobile 915 Express series chipset (code-named Alviso with Intel's GMA 900), DDR2-533 and
the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 or 2915ABG mini-PCI Wi-Fi adapter (code-named Calexico2).
The Mobile 915 Express chipset, like its desktop version, supports many new features such as DDR2, PCI Express, Intel High Definition Audio, and SATA. Unfortunately, the introduction of PCI Express and faster Pentium M processors causes notebooks built around the Sonoma platform to have a shorter battery-life than their Carmel counterparts; Sonoma notebooks typically achieve between 3.5-4.6 hours of battery-life on a 53 W-h battery.
Centrino, a platform-marketing initiative from Intel, covers a particular combination of CPU, mainboard chipset and wireless network interface in the design of a laptop personal computer. Intel claimed that systems equipped with these technologies should deliver better performance, longer battery life and broad wireless network interoperability.
To qualify for a Centrino label, laptop vendors must use all three Intel qualified parts, otherwise using only the processor and chipset will carry the Intel Core label instead.
Carmel platform (2003)
Intel used Carmel as the code name for the first-generation Centrino platform introduced in March 2003.
The Carmel platform consists of:
an Intel Pentium M processor (code-named Banias or later Dothan) with a 400 MT/s FSB, Socket 478 and
an Intel 855 series chipset (code-named Odem or Montara with Intel Extreme Graphics 2), DDR-266 and
an Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 or later 2200 (IEEE 802.11b) mini-PCI Wi-Fi adapter (code-named Calexico or Calexico2).
Industry-watchers initially criticized the Carmel platform for its lack of an IEEE 802.11g-solution, because many independent Wi-Fi chip-makers like Broadcom and Atheros had already started shipping 802.11g products. Intel responded that the IEEE had not finalized the 802.11g standard at the time of Carmel's launch, and that it did not want to launch products not based on a finalized standard.
In early 2004, after the finalization of the 802.11g standard, Intel permitted an Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG (code-named Calexico2) to substitute for the 2100. At the same time, they permitted the new Dothan Pentium M to substitute for the Banias Pentium M. Initially, Intel permitted only the 855GM chipset, which did not support external graphics. Later, Intel allowed the 855GME and 855PM chips, which did support external graphics, in Centrino notebooks.
Despite criticisms, the Carmel platform won quick acceptance among OEMs and consumers. Carmel could attain or exceed the performance of older Pentium 4-M platforms, while allowing for notebooks to operate for 4 to 5 hours on a 48 W-h battery. Carmel also allowed notebook-manufacturers to create thinner and lighter notebooks because its components did not dissipate much heat, and thus did not require large cooling systems
Sonoma platform (2005)
Intel used Sonoma as the code name for the second-generation Centrino platform, introduced in January 2005.
The Sonoma platform consists of:
an Intel Pentium M processor (code-named Dothan) with a 533 MT/s FSB, Socket 479 and
an Intel Mobile 915 Express series chipset (code-named Alviso with Intel's GMA 900), DDR2-533 and
the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 or 2915ABG mini-PCI Wi-Fi adapter (code-named Calexico2).
The Mobile 915 Express chipset, like its desktop version, supports many new features such as DDR2, PCI Express, Intel High Definition Audio, and SATA. Unfortunately, the introduction of PCI Express and faster Pentium M processors causes notebooks built around the Sonoma platform to have a shorter battery-life than their Carmel counterparts; Sonoma notebooks typically achieve between 3.5-4.6 hours of battery-life on a 53 W-h battery.
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