Intel's hooked on wireless
Source: CNet News
Intel jumped into the wireless world this week, but the company will face some static as it wedges its way into one of the tech market's hottest segments.
With the introduction of Centrino, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker formally entered the market for Wi-Fi components that allow PCs to connect wirelessly to the Internet or other PCs.
While Intel's heft makes it a formidable rival, established competitors will have the advantage--at least for now. Broadcom, Intersil and Atheros all make Wi-Fi chips that analysts say are faster and more versatile than those found in Intel's components.
These companies, however, face a looming issue: standards. All Wi-Fi chips are made to conform to established protocols, which limits the performance differences and design. As the performance gap narrows, price and compatibility could tip the advantage to Intel.
A year from now, competitors' chips "won't be any better than Intel's," said Will Strauss, an analyst at Forward Concepts. "There are no standards for graphics chips (a market Intel failed to crack). There are in communications."
