Jul 16, 2008 11:18 AM | 3 Comments

Every now and then a technology company pulls a Zen marketing trick on the unassuming public. Nathan Taylor says Centrino 2 is one of those moments.

Notebook buyers need to wake up to Intel's zen marketing tricks with Centrino 2, says Nathan Taylor.

Intel has spent a large amount of time recently talking up Centrino 2, its new mobile platform/marketing initiative. Once again, it’s hard to get excited about this latest Intel excursion into Zen marketing.

Like the original Centrino, Centrino 2 pretty much signifies nothing – it’s a sticker that system builders can put on a notebook computer that uses a specific collection of Intel components.

The components, in this case, include a dual-core 45nm “Penryn” processor, a 4 Series Chipset (such as the Intel 45 Express), Intel 802.11n wireless and Gigabit Ethernet with optional support for WiMax.

The biggest issue I have with Centrino 2 is not its components – they’re all fine pieces of technology (with the possible exception of the embedded graphics chip, the GMA X4500, which still doesn’t match it with Nvidia and ATI).

The problem is that, like its predecessor, Centrino 2 is specifically designed to befuddle and bemuse. It’s a marketing strategy, not a technology platform, one that’s designed to generate hype out of nothing.

I’m sure over the next few weeks Intel and its various partners will be hammering us with ads about “Centrino 2 technology” and how we simply must have it.

Of course, nobody actually understands what “Centrino 2 technology” is, but buyers that are challenged by technical specifications (ie. the majority of people) will start to think that they need Centrino 2 to keep up with the times, on the vague notion that it somehow has a technological advantage over non-Centrino 2 solutions. Hence the Zen factor: “I don’t know what it is but it sounds new-fangled and everybody is talking about it so I must have it.”

Of course, it’s perfectly possible to get a very fine notebook that’s not Centrino 2. It doesn’t have a single capability that cannot be matched by third-party components, with the possible exception of WiMax (a technology that’s a pretty hard sell right now, given that the only WiMax networks currently in operation in Australia are experimental).

My advice is not to buy into the hype: if you’re going to buy a new notebook but don’t know much about computer specs, it’s still a good idea to get your geekiest friend to help you out.

Centrino 2 notebooks will generally be pretty good, but you could well get a notebook that works better for you.

j3d11 Jul 22, 2008 1:01 PM	Have to agree with Nathan on this one. Centrino 1 or 2 is only about pushing the Intel family of products and not about embedded technology in the processor. I would not buy a new laptop based on the branding of Centrino and like to know what is under the hood before I make my purchase. Hence manufacturers like Dell and HP spell out the specifics of a system. The Zen or Intel spin with their catchy jingle will be playing nauseatingly again soon I imagine.
Pacman Jul 22, 2008 4:44 PM	I'm afraid you have missed the key point of the Centrino 2 platform - to lower power, increase efficiency and battery life by a greater margin than the Centrino 1 chip. Granted, it's not a performance or a graphics increase, but it's the battery life most people will most pleased and affected by in their purchase. Therefore, by your argument lacking this critical piece of info, I can't see how you can delve into Zen marketing talk without making amendments to what the centrino 2 actually is.
Nato Jul 22, 2008 5:21 PM	Feels like deja vu to me. When laptops start to catch desktops u can feel the change in the air. For 6 months they are closer to desktops then the storm finally hits and bang ur laptop is an email machine once again lol. You can watch a full blue-ray movie now on a 17 inch screen, yeah thats just great. Convert things and play games, oh there goes the battery. Starts up faster to save power and get working quicker, thats the best bit. its a glorified zen tv to me, i will keep my old centrino and wait for Nehalem