Intel delays Centrino 2 launch over chipset, antenna issues

Intel will delay the launch of its upcoming Centrino 2 platform for laptop computers to resolve issues related to the chipset and the antenna used with the wireless chipset.

Centrino 2, also called Montevina, is the next version of Intel's popular Centrino platform for laptops and was previously slated for a June launch. Computer makers are now expected to begin shipping Centrino 2 systems to retail shops in July, with production reaching high volumes during the first week of August, said Elvin Ong, an Intel spokesman in Singapore.

The Centrino 2 platform includes new Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme Mobile processors, as well as an updated chipset with integrated graphics. On the wireless side, Centrino 2 will offer support for Wi-Fi, and WiMax is being offered as an option.

"We are taking the extra days to address two issues that require us to re-screen our chipsets with integrated graphics, and attend to some terms-and-conditions mistakes while filing and testing our wireless antennas," Ong said, adding that Intel expects Centrino 2 laptops to be available in time for the crucial back-to-school selling season.

Ong declined to detail the chipset issues that require Intel to re-screen these products, but said the move was necessary to insure the quality of the product. "We are not going to ship a sub-par product into the market," he said.

There is no problem with the processors used in Centrino 2, Ong said, calling these chips "healthy."

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.