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First Look: Intel's Centrino Worth Waiting For

After a long buildup, Intel has finally trotted out its Centrino architecture, which combines a Pentium M processor, Intel's 855 chip set, and Intel's Pro/Wireless 2100 Network Connection hardware. As promised, Centrino-powered portable PCs offer improved performance and better battery life, among other benefits, according to exclusive PCWorld.com tests of new Dell, IBM, and Toshiba notebooks.

Two of the three models we tested lacked the Intel networking hardware and are so branded Pentium M systems (not Centrino), but performed better than all previously tested notebooks. As for battery power, Toshiba's Tecra M1 ($2154), the one true Centrino notebook tested, lasted an awesome 7 hours, 6 minutes. For complete test results, go to "First Tests: Intel's Centrino."

News: Check Out the New Centrino and Pentium M Models

Many leading notebook makers have introduced models that use Intel's new Centrino architecture or at least the new Pentium M CPU and 855 chip set. Among the announcements:

• Toshiba now has five Centrino notebooks, the thinnest and lightest of which is the Portege R100 at 2.3 pounds. The Portege ($2199) is designed for basic office applications in the smallest possible package, according to Toshiba.
  
  
• IBM's Pentium M-based ThinkPad T40 series models are updated T30 notebooks that promise more than 5 hours of battery life and weigh less than 5 pounds, according to the company. In PCWorld.com tests, a $3395 ThinkPad T40 ran an impressive 6 hours, 33 minutes on a battery charge and was faster than almost any other notebook we've ever tested.
  
  
• Dell's Pentium M-based Latitude D600 (base configuration: $1400) was the highest-performing notebook PCWorld.com has tested to date--about 12 percent faster than our previous notebook champ. That's enough to make even the most jaded power user take notice.
  
  

For more information on these and other Centrino and Pentium M notebooks, read "Centrino Appears in a Slew of Notebooks."

News: Desktop Replacement or Ultraportable? Sharp Has Both

Sharp's new notebooks run the gamut from skinny ultraportable to powerful desktop replacement. The Actius MM10 ($1499) is a 2-pounder designed for portability, while Sharp's 10-pound Actius RD10 ($2199), powered by a 2.8-GHz Pentium 4 processor, is intended primarily for office use. Sharp has designed the MM10 so it can easily transfer files back and forth from a desktop computer via a docking cradle, much like a PDA does. But the MM10 has a 10-inch screen and a smaller-than-average keyboard.

In his review, "Tiny Notebook Doubles as Hard Drive," PCWorld.com's Michael Lasky found the MM10's keys were too small for comfortable typing, among other trade-offs.

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