Intel has unveiled a new motherboard chipset for notebooks, and the new generation of notebooks are just hitting the market. Here’s an article with details about the “Santa Rosa” chipset, which will be marketed under the brand names “Centrino Duo” and “Centrino Pro.”
You can read the PC Magazine article for technical details – basically the new notebooks have these new features: faster memory and faster speeds as little data molecules (or sparks, or neutrinos, or whatever the hell they are) move around the motherboard; better built-in graphics, crucial for running Vista; a gigabit network connector, capable of speeds that are not yet built into most consumer/small business routers and switches but which will be standard in a couple of years; and the next generation of wireless technology, adding support for “draft 802.11n.” (It may be good to have “draft 802.11n” support, assuming you run into compatible equipment and nothing changes when it becomes “final 802.11n.” In the meantime it’s compatible with 802.11g, which is what you’ll likely use.)
Dell just added the Latitude D630 and D830 to its line of business notebooks, built on the Centrino Duo platform and looking quite nice – the linked article includes a review of the D630.
