7 Things You Need to Know About Centrino 2

The first Centrino was all about jump-starting the wireless revolution. And we can all agree that turned out pretty well. Intel’s sequel is about making high-definition computing mainstream, thanks to souped up integrated graphics, which in some ways is even more ambitious. What does HD computing mean? Today, not a heck of a lot. Although Intel touts smooth, stutter-free Blu-ray DVD playback as one of Centrino 2’s hallmark achievements, adding this feature to a notebook is still fairly expensive, and you won’t see much benefit on systems with displays smaller than 17 inches.

Obsessing over the value of Blu-ray literally misses the bigger picture, however. Centrino 2 enhances the overall visual experience on PCs, enabling users to enjoy high-quality video chats, edit video shot with (increasingly inexpensive) HD camcorders, and play mainstream games—without the processor slowing to a crawl as you multitask. And whether it’s through Blu-ray or not, high-def video is coming to your notebook courtesy of Flash 9 and other technologies.

To better understand Centrino 2’s key features and what they’ll do for you, check out these 7 essential tips, as well as our in-depth reviews of some of the first Centrino 2 notebooks and a first look at many more to come.