Chip giant Intel was preaching the “internet in your pocket” mantra on Wednesday, promising WiMAX, a greater impetus in mobile computing and a new plethora of web-enabled devices, form next year.

Speaking at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco this week, senior vice president and general manager of the Mobility Group, David Perlmutter, said the company would be delivering WiMAX components for notebooks, as well as its own Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) in 2008.

Perlmutter also said that the introduction of advanced mobile processors based on High-k metal gate (Hi-k) silicon will deliver energy efficiencies for the greater battery life needed by users on the go.

The next-generation Centrino Duo processor technology to be refreshed with the 45nm Hi-k dual core mobile processor is codenamed Penryn and will feature in the Montevina processor technology due out later in 2008. This platform will span the full range of notebook designs from mini-notes to full size and will offer integrated wifi and WiMAX.

At the event, open source software developer Canonical showcased a pre-alpha release of Ubuntu Mobile Linux on an Intel Menlow-based MID. Menlow, due out in the first half of 2008, is Intel’s first platform designed from the ground up for MIDs and UMPCs. Featured on the Menlow-based designs are optional standardised capabilities such as wifi, 3G and WiMAX to enable more of an always-connected experience.

Intel also provided a sneak peek at Moorestown, Menlow’s successor, that consists of a system on chip (SOC) design combining the CPU, graphics, video and memory controller onto a single chip. A Moorestown-based MID will have idle power that will be 10x lower than the 2008 Menlow design, enabling longer battery life in smaller form factors.