The OFFICIAL Montevina / Centrino 2 Thread

I would expect them out before Chirstmas, most likely November. I am not sure why they took so long to deliver new products with the updated chipset. If you do wait, I am sure the prices will drop considerably by next summer for a college notebook.

 

I know Dell is wanting people to buy so they won't announce models in advance (especially for summer). Btw what is the new chipset Penryn? I have some idea, but is it true that say with a Quad Core 3 Ghz, it turns it into a net of 12 Ghz, and a Core2 Duo of 3 Ghz into a net of 6? Maybe if I look into when Intel is coming out with its new hardware, I'll have a good idea of when new laptops are coming? Btw, are the new 9 series (even 9300M GS) all more powerful than the 8600m GT?

 

The new chipset is Montevina. No it wouldn't be a net amount of clock speed, it is more parallel processing, doing multiple tasks quickly. The 9300 wouldn't be better than the 8600. The 8600 would be succeeded by the 9600.

 

SephirothXR

Please CHECK to see if EXISTING threads exist with the same topic before posting.

Thank you

 

Don't you think, the reason dell did not implement montevina in their XPS line is because they are waiting for something else.

As some people said centrino2 and geforce 9 series is not a major update from santa rosa and the geforce 8 series. And I suspect Dell to wait for the ATI Mobility 4000 platform. Which will be out before the end of the year.

 

WHY does the Studiio 17 STILL not have Montevina when the Studio 15's already HAVE it?

 

What Studio 13?

 

sorry my mistake....... I was thinking about something else......I fixed my post.

 

You do realize 97% of the population doesn't know the difference between Santa Rosa and Montevina or Centrino and Centrino 2. It just makes sense for Dell to update whenever they feel like. It's a recession so you gotta cut costs somewhere.

 

How exactly is putting Montevina in the 15 but not 17 cutting costs for Dell? All they did was make the 15 slightly more expensive by putting the new chip in their SMALLER, CHEAPER model. Why not put it in the bigger size as well? Is losing higher end customers who WANT Montevina in a 17 inch and WILL go elsewhere to get it REALLY a smart, cost saving move?

 

They probably are running out of boards and processors that go into the 15 inch model so switched off to montevina platform.

 

You don't consider support for 8GB RAM, and atleast twice as fast integrated graphics (for budget solutions) a major update? What about 1066MHz FSB processors, and support for up to 1333MHz RAM, and gigabit ethernet as standard? Still not convinced? Then I guess you're right, it's not a major update.
Also, there's absolutely no reason to wait for a graphics card to update an entire platform.

 

97%? oh really?

Yes I agree that the majority don't know that much, but still I can see quite a lot of posts on many forums saying that not buying a Dell now because they can get something better with the same price elsewhere.

Plus the less technical people may notice that oh why are you still using Centrino when others are Centrino 2? That Centrino 1 and Centrino 2 make a difference for them. (and 1 & 2 may even look like a larger difference than they actually are)
And the outdated graphic cards as well.


Anyway, what makes them waiting soooooo long and yet not announcing any official information at all?
I doubt if all these can lead to a better overall profit than just releasing Montevina + GF9M(or ATi) back then like the other brands, no matter what they are planning.

 

Santa Rosa supports 8GB of RAM already. And most manufacturers have been including gigabit for a while. It isn't a major update, not like the next one will be.

 

The next one will be extremely major. I'm actually wondering how it'll work. Won't Tri Channel Ram make notebooks a little bigger. And trust me the amount of people on forums is a small representation of the general public. People on forums come to talk about tech. Anyone else generally doesn't know anything. You ask everyone in your class if they have heard of the word montevina and you'll be lucky to get 1. And most people still are screwing around with the Centrino 2 branding. Lenovo doesn't have it on all their Centrino 2 notebook website pages for some reason and neither does Sony and no companies really make a big deal about Centrino 2 since all it really is a bus speed improvement which makes no sense to the consumer.

 

Not officially. And sure, you could always wait till the next update, then you'll be forever waiting.

 

ya cause after the 'next' big thing which you're waiting for.. a new, 'next' bigger thing will be 'around' the corner..

As stated above, keep waiting, you got time, dude?

 

What's not officially? Santa Rosa supports 8GB I did not say anything about waiting, I simply stated that this update is not on the same magnitude that the next update will be, so there is little reason to wait for Montevina.

 

I don't believe I should be waiting for Montevina. I should have it by now but Dell is lazy and it makes me annoyed that by the time I get montevina it'll be a month or two away from the new releases. If it wasn't for dell's service I would definitely have just bought a montevina laptop and not cared already.

 

Huh. I stand corrected. It must be an artificial limit many manufacturer's placed in the BIOS, cause I've never ever heard of santa rosa supporting 8GB. Interesting indeed.

 

Not only are they a only a minor increase, but after the nvidia fiasco Im sure dell is trying to tread lightly at this point. Either way from using a montiviana notebook then going back to my penryn, there really isnt enough difference to make a switch personally.

 

It's an increase though and I don't see why people care that it's a minor one. Just because to you guys it's a minor increase since you want more performance doesn't mean that for people looking to get every bit of battery life they can get they don't want montevina. It's not like because we are staying with Santa Rosa we are getting a lower price. The XPS is still just as if not a little more expensive than the dv3t yet the dv3t is faster all around.

 

It is definately in increase and I don't understand why Dell is not exploiting it by coming out with new units (unless they had so much stock they did not want to cannibalize their own sales).

In marketing it is not who has the best products - it is who markets best. And to the average PC user out there Centrino 2 is better then Centrino 1 if for no other reason than 2 is higher than 1.

COME ON DELL - YOU ARE KILLING US!!

 

Are we looking at November? Do models also come out during the summer? When are Montevinas coming out? I'm looking for a good 13" XPS, and M1330 won't be enough since I don't need a new laptop till next summer.

 

I was about to ask the same. I'm in the marked looking for a Gaming Laptop that can replace my old Desktop and I really want buy a Dell but the current technical specification are a bit lower compared to what Asus is offering right now.

 

Asus has it all, but the battery life will kill you. Some Dell laptops can get 4 hours or more, and that type of time is invaluable in college since I won't be gaming.

 

Are you sick of people who say wait for the next thing?

I am sick of guys like you as well.

If one needs a laptop before a definite date, for school, or work whatever, then of course they shouldn't wait, they can't wait.

But if for one that have a laptop running, but just want to get a new one because it is getting outdated and so slow, or they are interested in a laptop but not hurry, why can't we wait if it is not long?

No one saying to wait for the next*10 big thing, but at least just the coming one. Normally, the time waiting for next one is relatively shorter than the time between the next one and the one after the next, because the time between the previous one and now, has already passed.

And now, Dell is far far far behind the expectation.


For the point about if montevina(together with newer graphic card, its not only the platform, don't forget about it) worth waiting, that's not the point, the point is, other brands provide something that is absolutely better with a similar price or even cheaper.

If I am not a lover of Dell, who would wait for them?

Actually I was almost gave up on Dell.

I missed the sale on HP dv5 or I would have forgotten about Dell.

 

Zeta, you didn't offend me at all!

And thanks for sharing your perspective on the 'waiting'
--laptops should be bought WHEN there is NEED is what I have been saying, anyway.

P.S. I am not a guy, so I am sure you're not sick of me just yet!

 

My problem is that I'm not waiting for the next bigger better thing. Montevina is OUT and has BEEN out for 2 months already. I mean this is just stupid. When DDR2 was slower than DDR dell had it out as ASAP but when montevina has benefits even if they are small negligible ones they are delaying like crazy.

 

You have 3 choices 1. Wait for Dell to release in November, 2. Buy a current Dell product, 3. Buy another product that has Montevina. I assure you Dell is not just sitting on a product because they can. Technology is a far too fast paced environment to do that.

 

I too doubt that Dell would just sit on it. If anything, offer it at a premium price to start and lower it later.

 

I predict an announcement soon with the holiday season coming I doubt they wanna miss that.

 

The problem with that atbnet is that the only product that has what I want is a Sony Z series which is close to 2000 dollars. My dad refuses to buy a Sony notebook for me because he uses that brand just like he refused to get me a used benz because he uses that. He thinks he's spoiling me if I get the Sony Z but I would rather have up to 6 hours of battery life if possible than get something with a low 3 hours. My best comparable option is a Macbook actually since those get about 5 hours of batterylife on the go if I'm using OS X.
But I really want a 13 inch laptop with switchable graphics because I like to be able to open my laptop anytime and use it without worrying that I might run out of battery and 6 hours is just about the right amount for me.

 

You could buy additional batteries to achieve the mobile time that you are looking for. The Latitudes are pretty decent with battery life you may want to consider those as well. Or I guess you could get a job so that you won't have to rely on others to buy them for you.

 

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Dell Canada.

Our Studio 15s are still Santa Rosa refresh only. No option to upgrade to Montevina.

I think my worst experience in asking about Centrino 2 from Dell was around when the Latitude E4300s came out. I called to ask about ordering one because I wanted to see if I could make a few changes that weren't avaible options on the Canadian site that were options on the American site. It ended up with me just information gathering, and the rep that I was talking to kept trying to sell me a M1330, claiming it was a Centrino 2 unit, as he was told so by the tech division. I ended that call as quickly and as politely as possible very very soon after that sales pitch.

My faith in Dell waivers every time I make a call to them. T_T

 

At least you still have faith, haha. I put 0% credibility in whatever I heard a phone rep tell me. They really just go off a script and tell you what you want to hear. I do my own research and find out from other users experience.

 

Going to configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dndwra1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19 you'll see Centrino 2 in the Studio 15.

 

With the Studio 15, yes, but not the XPS models. That is what most here are waiting for.

 

I'm a full time student in college and even if I wanted a job my parents would object to it. With my course load it would be ill advised and completely stupid to try and work not to mention it's not on principle that they can't afford to buy me the laptop but that they are unwilling to simply because of the brand name. If it was a dell I would have it already but it's a sony which carries more "prestige" as a brand or something like that. I dunno it's my parents and they have weird ways of doing things that don't make sense to me but I can't force them to do anything.

 

Yeah it is no fun going to college and working, but it's the only thing I can do to not be buried in loans when I finally get out of here.

 

Amen.

Me too, unlike the 'rich' kids, I am stuck with taking out loans to get a fing degree so if I didn't work on the side - I couldn't afford luxuries of life like my former Sony Z

 

...Right. For the US. Not Canada. Like I said in my previous post.

 

I would love to work while double majoring but I don't think that workload and a job would allow me to get the high GPA necessary to quality for my major.

 

Hey guys, now that the Montevina are coming out in April, if you want a new laptop for college Fall 09, should you most definitely wait till summer? They said that the chips are coming in April, so will Intel give the chips to Dell before then so I can get one of DELL'S NEW MODEL by June or July?

 

Montevina is a codename for the Centrino 2 chipset from Intel - which has already been released July 08

Dell just hasnt updated THEIR own models with it.

Sony, Toshiba, HP, Lenovo all now have Centrino 2 "montevina" chipsets already in their new models released in and after July.

 

Lets not forget.. even apple has released models with atleast the new CPU's and GPUs..

 

Capella is coming out Q3 2009, might as well wait for that.

There will be a refresh of processors next spring though.

 

Lol yes, who can forget, even APPLE got their new Centrino 2 mac's out BEFORE dell lmao

 

Centrino 2 Macs? Really? Not really interested in Macs, but I thought they went with Nvidia chipsets instead.

Dell XPS is rumored to go with those as well though, so we may never even see Centrino 2 XPS models.

Not really sure if I like that though actually, reliability wise, I'd rather see Centrino 2 XPS notebooks instead of Nvidia's offerings. Not talking about the recent 8400 / 8600 fiasco, but Intel's reliability seems unmatched in my (little) experience.

 

Yeah they did use Nvidia, they aren't Centrino 2. The just have the newer processors with higher FSB and DDR3.