ASK any frequent business traveller what he wants most in a notebook and the answer is probably good battery life.
No one wants to run out of juice in the middle of an important presentation.
Which is why Prabhu Kumar Gade, 34, favours battery power over performance in his laptop especially when he travels abroad.
The sales director of Internet development firm Web Synergies travels at least once a month.
'When I travel, I usually work with Microsoft Outlook and Office, so I do not need that much processing power,' said Prabhu.
For road warrior Stijn Welkers, however, performance is key.
Stijn, 38, director of Software Symbiosis, needs to showcase the latest PC games to his clients.
'A notebook with nice colours, fast gaming prowess and good sound is important,' explained the company director.
This is where the new Intel Centrino 2 technology comes in handy - for both of these mobile users.
The technology promises a breakthrough in mobile performance, powering notebooks with longer battery life and wider wireless connectivity.
Launched last July, the know-how is quickly making its way into mainstream business and consumer notebooks.
Double the brawn
The latest Intel Centrino 2 processor technology offers up to 50 per cent more speed.
This means you can work on multiple applications at the same time - great for multi-taskers.
According to tests Digital Life carried out on five Centrino 2 notebooks, all scored at least 5.3 points on the Windows Experience Index test - a high score for its class.
The technology offers performance that is up to 90 per cent faster when compressing HD videos. Intel says that advances in the new Centrino 2 also offer better 3D performance.
For example, the Centrino 2-equipped notebooks in our round-up scored an average of 800 points on 3DMark 06. This is 100 per cent better than the average 400 points scored by a similarly configured, non-Centrino 2 notebook.
Equally impressive is battery life. The Centrino 2 technology keeps you mobile longer with the new built-in power capability.
Previously, it was hard to find a notebook that could go beyond the 100-minute mark. Now, notebooks such as the Centrino 2-equipped Sony Vaio VGN-Z17GN continued for
169 minutes on batteries. This means you can conduct a video-conference or watch DVD movies for more than two hours at a stretch.
At last, road warriors who need a good balance of computing muscle and battery life have a reason to smile.
