Intel has officially released its latest processor for mobile computers called Centrino 2. The new chip is better than its predecessors in terms of speed and power efficiency, consuming 25 watts, 10 watts less than the Centrino series.

The new series will come in 6 different flavors, the fastest one being X9100, which runs at 3.06 gigahertz and is the most expensive of the six, while the slowest one, which is also the cheapest, runs at 2.26 gigahertz and is called P8400. Intel said that its Centrino 2 processors will target the business as well as the mainstream consumer segments of the market.

The company also said that it has started shipping the processor to laptop manufacturers and that the first models will be available starting next week from companies such as Lenovo, Acer, HP or Toshiba. Intel said that the number of laptops containing the new generation chips that are expected to be shipped next week is around 240 units.

Intel will also introduce a Centrino 2 chipset that will make laptops capable of switching between an integrated graphics solution and a discreet one. Intel also said that its new chips includes technology that is supposed to make possible watching HD video content from Blu-Ray disks while relying on the power generated by the laptop’s battery.

On the other hand, it seems that Intel will also release its quad-core processor soon, but the industry is a little bit skeptical at the success it might have. The main reason for this is that there are not enough programs that would benefit of the chip’s quad core architecture, thus rendering it useless and forcing the chip to function as a dual-core one.