Intel Centrino

Intel Centrino is a brand name that was previously used by the company as a platform-marketing initiative. Now it is a brand name of Intel Corporation which represents its Wi-Fi and WiMAX wireless computer networking adapters.

Covering a particular combination of mainboard chipset, mobile CPU and a wireless network interface in the design of a laptop, Intel claimed that systems equipped with these technologies delivered better performance, longer battery life and broader wireless network interoperability than non-Centrino systems. Intel Centrino Wireless is the new product line name for Intel wireless products. The product line includes Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200, Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300, and Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250.

Introduced in March 2003, Intel used “Carmel” as the codename for the first-generation Centrino platform. The subsequent generations are called Sonoma, Napa, Santa Rosa, Montevina, Calpella, Huron River, Chief River, Shark Bay, Crescent Bay, Sunrise Point, and Union Point. For laptops with dual-core Core Duo processors, Intel uses Centrino Duo branding and for laptops with single core (Core Solo) processors, it retains the Centrino name. Santa Rosa, the fourth-generation Centrino is branded as “Centrino Pro” when combined with the enhanced security technologies Intel introduced with vPro and “Centrino Duo” when they are not used. Similarly, the Montevina platform is branded as Centrino 2 vPro when combined with built-in security and manageability features technologies.

Centrino with Intel vPro technology is targeted more for businesses than consumers. Laptops with vPro (Centrino laptop with Intel vPro technology (Santa Rosa platform) and Centrino 2 laptop with Intel vPro technology (Montevina platform)) have the typical dual-core or quad-core processor and wireless features of the Centrino family.