Intel's Santa Rosa initiative has seen the light of day today, with the announcement of a wide range of improvements, from faster processors and chipsets, to great looking video and graphics and better security and manageability being cited.

In excess of 230 systems from PC manufacturers, resellers and integrators worldwide, all utilising Intel Centrino Duo and Centrino Pro processor technology, are expected to benefit from the technological initiatives announced today.

These notebook systems will come in a myriad of forms, with one end of the spectrum comprising of high specification models featuring 17-inch widescreen displays, targeted at fulfilling entertainment purposes, whilst the other end of the spectrum will be satisfied by energy saving notebook systems, weighing less than three pounds.

Amongst the most notable factors of Santa Rosa is the Intel Clear Video Technology, part of the Mobile Intel 965 Express chipset family, which allows for high definition video capabilities, whilst Windows Vista Aero capabilities come courtesy of a tailor made driver suite that delivers Windows Vista Premium support.

An optional feature, Intel's Turbo Memory, allows frequently used applications to be accessed twice as fast and, reduces by up to 20%, the time taken to start or boot-up a system featuring the technology.

The next generation of Intel's highly acclaimed Core2Duo processor is at the core of Intel's new Centrino Duo and Centrino Pro processor technology and is the source of notable performance and responsiveness improvements for a wide range of user groups. Running multiple applications or tasks simultaneously, is one of the scenarios where these improvements will be most evidenced in.

Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N, proving 802.11AGN WLAN support, fuels up to five times the performance levels of previous solutions, most noticeable during tasks such as downloading, whilst boasting twice the wireless access range.

Interestingly, the initiatives derived from Santa Rosa will also form the basis for a range of smaller, quieter high performance desktop computer concepts. They too will feature, what Intel states is, crystal clear audio, better graphics and sharper video playback.

Energy efficiency and improved battery life are also amongst the improvements at the heart of the new initiatives announced.

Read the press release in full here.