Intel Doubles Down on Laptops

AMD is touting a different approach to notebooks, pairing its microprocessors with preconfigured chipsets, graphics and Wi-Fi chips from third-party chipmakers. According to AMD, the bundle of technology gives PC makers more choice to build a machine with best-of-breed components rather than being limited to Intel's one-size-fits-all offering.

That's particularly important in notebooks, AMD contends, because consumers do not have the option of upgrading components if they're not satisfied with what's under the hood. AMD says the integrated graphics in its notebook offering, which features technology from graphics specialists ATI or Nvidia(NVDA), provides better performance than what it labels the "generic" graphics available in Intel's Centrino.

According to Enderle, though, the most important feature in a mainstream notebook is not graphics performance, but battery life. Both Intel and AMD contend that their latest notebook offers extend significantly battery life.

Intel is also using Centrino to make notebooks more palatable to corporations. A corporate version of Centrino features a so-called manageability engine that allows corporate IT departments to remotely diagnose and fix problems on their workers' notebooks.

While the technology has been available on desktops for about a year through Intel's Vpro offering, Centrino brings the remote management capabilities to a company's wirelessly connected notebooks.

"By including the mobile, they [Intel] make the Vpro offering much more compelling than it was before," says analyst Roger Kay.

Shares of Intel finished Wednesday's regular session up 1.4%, or 32 cents, at $22.47.

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