Intel on Wednesday outlined its roadmap for mobile technology, promising significant improvements in performance, power consumption, and size to meet the needs of future notebooks and Internet-enabled handheld devices.

During back-to-back keynotes at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Intel executives discussed Montevina, Menlow, Moorestown, and Silverthorne, codenames for a variety of processor technologies set for release over the next three years. In addition, the chipmaker plugged WiMax, the chipmaker's favorite wireless broadband technology.

Montevina, a notebook chipset scheduled for release next year, will include a 25-watt, 45-nanometer scale Penryn processor. A key feature in Montevina is support for both WiMax and Wi-Fi wireless technologies, and support for HD-DVD and Blu-ray high definition video formats.

At the same time, the chipset will take up 60% less space, making it possible for smaller mobile devices, Dadi Perlmutter, senior VP and general manager for Intel's mobility group, told conference attendees. In addition, Montevina will consume 40% less power and deliver twice the performance of Intel's 2005 mobile platform.

Helping to drive the lower power consumption in Montevina is the ability to have the cache power off in the CPU, which takes the core voltage way down, Perlmutter said. Nehalem, codename for Intel's next generation micro-architecture, is expected to drive down power consumption even further; the 45nm-scale technology is scheduled to be introduced for servers and workstations in the first quarter of 2008.

For wireless connectivity, Intel is investing heavily in support of WiMax for wireless broadband. During Wednesday's keynotes, executives showed computers accessing the Web from a mini-car, scooter, and Segway personal transporter, as well as through handheld devices.