At last, the "Pentium" name is going away from the microchip and computer landscape after more than 10 years in existence. I remember having a PC powered by I think the first Intel Pentium -- a Pentium 60 (Megahertz). My, have things changed for the faster. Intel CEO Paul Otellini officially took to the stage to show off the Pentium successor, the Intel Core 2 Duo.

This new microchip architecture should help put Intel back on the performance map against smaller rival AMD, which has beaten up Intel lately with much faster chips and a kind of "underdog" status that has won it marketshare from almost every angle. When AMD announced its plans to buy video chipmaker ATI for $5.4 billion just last week, the assault is now on with Intel releasing the Core 2 Duo to challenge AMD's perceived speed advantages.

Intel needs a showstopper in the Core 2 Duo package in order to reverse some problems with aging Pentium designs (which are now retired) and to put it back on track to consistent, excellent growth. While recently axing 1,000 managers and re-arranging multitudes of its business to slash costs, Intel's timing on the new flagship consumer/business chip product could not have been better.