It's quite a bit late, but it's still coming to the party with all of the cash it can carry: Dothan and Sonoma arrive on May 10: Intel's next-generation Centrino system, which uses the processor dubbed Dothan and a system known as Sonoma, will be unveiled May 10. The system includes the updated Wi-Fi mini-PCI module, the Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG, which supports 802.11g, and by implicit extension, 802.11b. Intel has the 2100A, which is an a/b module, but no a/g module.

This internetnews.com article indicates that Dothan's smaller chip process increase power consumption and thus Intel can't spike performance without killing battery life, a big no-no after the huge improvements found in Centrino, which can stretch an included battery to four to six hours, or two to three times the normal life found in pre-Centrino models.

A year ago, when Centrino debuted, Intel received a drubbing for shipping 802.11b with it instead of looking to the future. They've had many delays in getting Sonoma to the market, which has pushed their 802.11g availability back at least six months from what was envisioned a year ago. But, still, the public associates Centrino with Wi-Fi, and thus Intel's goal was achieved. Never mind that Broadcom has shipped most of the consumer cards and gateways, and that it scored deals with laptop makers that have a lock-in of several years because of corporate sales that don't allow for mid-stream component changes.