Intel launches Santa Rosa platform

While Intel Corp and its computer partners were hoping to make a big splash by unveiling the latest Centrino platform yesterday, industry watchers predicted that the consumer reaction could be lukewarm.

Intel yesterday launched Santa Rosa, the latest update of its Centrino mobile platform.

At the heart of Santa Rosa are a processor, a chipset and a wireless combination.

Business notebooks built on the latest platform will be branded Centrino Pro, while consumer machines will carry the existing Centrino Duo label.

Santa Rosa comes with an improved chipset and Intel Turbo Memory, formerly known as Robson. Intel Turbo Memory is flash memory built into a notebook computer that helps the system save power by accommodating a new hibernation mode.

"The new platform will offer faster computer turn-on time and speed, better wireless capabilities and enhanced security," Jason Chen (陳立生), country manager of Intel Microelectronics Asia Ltd's Taiwan branch, told a product launch conference in conjunction with the global debut.

Local hardware vendors demonstrated their support for the new platform, hoping that the new system will boost their computers' average retail prices.

"This platform gives users better performance and wireless connectivity," said Scott Lin (林顯郎), president for Taiwan operations of Acer Inc, the world's third-largest PC maker.

He said that notebooks based on Santa Rosa would account for 70 percent of the company's laptop shipments in the fourth quarter, up from 20 percent from the current quarter.

Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶電腦), the world's second-largest laptop computer contract maker, is equally upbeat on the prospects.

The maker started to churn out Santa Rosa notebooks last month for its brand clients, and expects 70 percent of its production volumes will run on the new system in the final quarter, Compal president and chief executive Ray Chen (陳瑞聰) said.

Despite the excitement, industry watchers said consumers might not buy into the idea as fast as vendors would like.

"Only some tech pioneers will rush to buy these new laptops. General uptake will be unsatisfactory considering the price factor," said Simon Yang (楊勝帆), an analyst at Topology Research Institute (拓墣產業研究所).

Santa Rosa machines will carry a price tag of at least US$300 more than the earlier Napa-based notebooks, he said.

"Even if Intel cuts prices in the upcoming months, Santa Rosa will only take up 30 percent of global notebook sales by year's end," he said.