Laptops with Intel's Centrino mobile technology are expected to go on sale from 12 March, beginning a wave of mobile PC designs with wireless networking and other high-end features.

The developments, to be showcased at next month's CeBIT show in Hanover, are likely to further shrink the gap between portable and desktop PC sales.

Centrino PCs are expected from vendors including Dell, Toshiba, Hewlett Packard, IBM and Acer.

The units integrate Wi-Fi wireless local area network (Lan) links and use new Pentium-M processors that prolong battery life by anticipating user behaviour, supplying power only to parts in use, and other tactics.

Although Centrino is particularly applicable to ultra-portables, some vendors will deploy the technology across their mobile ranges.

Centrino's Pentium-M processor will initially be limited to 1.6GHz, but clock speed is a poor performance indicator, and large caches should boost performance.

Integrating wireless Lan access should further expand the wireless market. BT said last week that it would extend UK coverage to 120 hotspots.

Some vendors will also rework Centrino and other mobile PC designs in the next few months to include 17in wide-screen displays, a feature Apple pioneered with its PowerBook G4 last month.

The notebooks are likely to weigh over 3kg and will be too big for use on aircraft, but the screen will suit video editing, spreadsheets and presentations.

"A landscape wide screen is better for work with menus," said Bob Raikes of analyst Meko. "It's the shape of the human visual field."

Other advances are planned. IBM will this week ship the ThinkPad R40 with buttons linking to online help, for instance.

Sales growth for mobile PCs is outpacing that for desktops. In the Europe, Middle East and Africa region 2.9 million notebooks were sold last quarter, an annual increase of about 15 per cent, according to IDC.

Desktop sales fell by about one per cent to 9.3 million.

"[Notebook pricing] has come down and is comparable to desktops, [so in] some cases they are replacing desktops," said IDC analyst Andy Brown.

"The growth rate in desktops will improve but will nowhere near match the notebook market."

Sales of Windows XP-based Tablet PCs are also strong. Although only available since November, they made up about one per cent of European portable PC sales in the fourth quarter, according to analyst firm Context.

This month NEC will ship a 1in thick Versa Tablet, and Wyse will ship a Windows CE-based wireless thin client tablet device.