Intel Centrino

Latin Trade, Oct, 2004

INTEL CENTRINO Wireless data connectivity Price: Varies by laptop model www.intel.com

* The Good

You can connect without wires to the Internet using Wi-Fi, a wireless broadband technology, often found these days in coffee shops, airports and hotels.

* The Bad

In some areas, you must pay to access the Internet through Wi-Fi service providers, usually local telecom carriers. Since many providers operate independent networks, using Wi-Fi in different locations may require subscribing to different providers each time.

* Who Should Buy

Frequent travelers and coffee-shop aficionados. As more hotspots pop up and prices drop, Wi-Fi will become even more convenient.

* Who Should Not

Stationary office and home Internet users. Unless you just cannot stand sitting at your desk while surfing the net, wireless capability is probably unnecessary.