Intel claims that 2006 is a leap year. It isn't. 2008 will be.

The claim is part of a change in Intel's branding. The old slogan, "Intel Inside," is being retired, and the new slogan has been revealed: "Intel. Leap Ahead."

The ubiquitous Intel logo has a new look, too. The 'e' no longer drops below the rest of the word, and the typeface is updated. Without "inside," the logo is simply "intel" in the familiar swoosh. In some places, but not all, the "Leap ahead." is added.

The original "dropped-e" logo was created by company founders when they began Intel 37 years ago, while the "Intel Inside," which included the "dropped-e" style, was introduced in 1991.

The change in branding comes as Apple prepares to release new computers based on Intel's processors, and may help to sidestep concerns from some Apple faithful who lamented ever seeing "Intel Inside" on their Macintosh computers. Intel will also launch new chips code-named "Conroe" and "Yonah" in 2006, while fighting off increasing competition from chipmaker Applied Micro Devices (AMD). Intel has been trailing AMD in chip performance for servers and desktop computers, but it is widely believed that this year could finally see that trend reversed.

This Thursday, January 5, Intel CEO Paul Otellini is expected to unveil two new brands in a speech at the 2006 Consumer Electonics Show. "Core" is expected to be the brand for low-power chips, possibly the chips Apple will use. "Viiv" is the "digital home" brand.

Intel believes that the new logo and slogan will enable them to tie their various products together, from Centrino for laptops to Viiv for "digital home" products, and well into the future. They face a very uncertain future as the market fragments and competitors gain ground, but Intel is still the mindshare leader and dominates the market in terms of units sold. Their new association with Apple is sure to provide enormous PR value as well.