The laptop world is seeing double. The next evolution in
laptops is dual-core technology. Dual-core processors are
quickly raising the laptop experience to the next level
and laptop users are benefiting from the extra boost in
performance.

Dual-core means exactly what you think it means, you have
two processors or CPUs in your laptop instead of one.
Theoretically this should mean twice the performance level
for all those multi-tasking chores we call upon our laptops
to do. However, you must have ways or technology (the
platform) to utilize and handle all this extra power. There
is some catching up to do but to keep things simple,
Hyper-Threading, PCI-Express and SLI are all ways of
harnessing or using this extra power.

With the recent introduction of the new Centrino Duo Mobile
Technology, Intel has entered the multi-core arena. All this
extra dual power and Hyper-Threading will finally put some
punch into laptops and especially gaming laptops. Now almost
on par with desktop PCs, laptops and notebooks can finally
hold their heads high when it comes to performance. This isn't
your last year's laptop!

How quickly things change, Intel expects the Core Duo chip
will be in 230 different laptop designs in the first months
of 2006. Intel also claims this Duo chip will deliver 68%
more performance over the current Sonoma processor (many
manufacturers say this will be around 30%) and reduce
battery consumption by another 28% (Giving 5 hours for
a standard battery and 10 hours for an extended cell battery).

Still, dual-core processors coupled with Hyper-Threading
technology, will and does greatly improve the multi-tasking
functions of your next laptop. The only minor hurdle, many
of today's current video games can't use all these multi-
applications features. But as more games come on stream
which can take full advantage of all this new technology,
expect your gaming enjoyment to increase. As with any new
technology there will probably be a lag time before all the
multi-applications can be applied to the majority of new
games hitting the market.

Some major laptop makers now sporting the Intel Core Duo
include Dell with its new "entertainment" Dell Inspiron e1705
line of high end laptops. HP with its Pavilion dv1000 line of
laptops, which comes with a remote and you can play CDs and
DVDs without booting up.