We told you yesterday that Intel Corporation will continue offering faster and harder notebooks to replace desktops. Today we are going to share more information about the future of Intel Centrino, faster, but lighter and thinner mobile personal computers’ platform. This year Intel unveiled a number of terrific offerings in this field, next year there will be even more interesting things to come, as unofficial sources close to Intel said recently.

Intel Pentium M with “Dothan” core processor will go into mass production using Intel’s strained silicon 90nm fabrication technology in the fourth quarter of the year. The company will even ship the CPUs to its partners, but will formally launch the parts only in the Q1 2004. The code-named Dothan processor will use the 400MHz Quad Pumped Bus, but will feature 2MB of L2 cache and higher core-clock compared to the original Pentium M “Banias” core. Thanks to the improved micro-architecture, the Dothan will not have to run at too high clock-speed. It will start at 1.80GHz (at $637 price-point) in the Q1, will gain 100MHz or more in the Q2 and additional hundred or two megahertz in the Q3 2004 to reach the 2.0GHz milestone. Specifically for mainstream notebooks Intel will release the Pentium M 1.70A processor with 2MB L2 cache and reduced pricing.

Low Voltage Pentium M processors currently functioning at 1.20GHz will migrate to Dothan core in the first quarter beginning from 1.30GHz speed. In the second and the third quarters the LV Pentium M chips are believed to gain speed little-by-little as well. Ultra Low Voltage Pentium M “Dothan” will also emerge in the Q1 at speeds higher than 1.0GHz that will increase throughout the year.

Since 0.13 micron Intel Pentium M processors with 1MB core will be available next year as well, Mobile Celeron processors featuring Pentium M micro-architecture will only boast with 512KB of L2 cache. The Mobile Celeron chips at 1.30GHz and 1.40GHz with 512KB L2 and 400MHz QPB will be launched in the first and the second quarters respectively. Both parts will be made using 0.13 micron technology. In the third quarter next year Intel will unveil Mobile Celeron processor based on Dothan design with 512KB of L2 cache at 1.50 – 1.60GHz speeds. Additionally, the firm will offer Ultra Low Voltage Mobile Celeron processors made using 90nm technology at 800 and 900MHz in the Q1 and the Q2 2004.

Finally, in the second half of the year the world will see a new chipset or two with or without Intel’s next-generation integrated graphics core. Additionally, the company will bring its new WLAN PRO/Wireless solution, probably supporting 802.11g standard.