With Intel Corp.'s forthcoming Banias processor, the chip giant might be taking a step back to go forward.

No one outside of Intel knows for sure how fast Banias is, but it's widely believed to be running at sub-2GHz speeds (likely in the 1.4GHz-to-1.6GHz area). It's also rumored that Banias, expected in the first half of next year, is based on the Pentium III core. The PIII was introduced in early 1999, making Banias an odd fellow, indeed.

Intel may be on to something, however. Engineers have been working on optimizing the Banias chip set for the mobile environment, making it more powerful than previous mobile processors while increasing battery life. True to Intel's mission, Banias will include a highly integrated supporting chip set and feature wireless networking.

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