Gateway took the middle of the road apprach
From Microprocessor report Jan 27, 97
Combining capabilities can cause confusion
Flexibility, the greatest advantage of media processors, may also be their biggest problem. In some ways, media processors are a middle-of-the-road technology. In theory, they combine the cost/preformance advantages of hardwired solutions with the flexibility of software implementations. This opens them to competition from several directions, however. Makers of hardwired graphics and audio chips, along with software-only vendors, can target specific aspects of PC multimedia and sometimes offer better point solutions.
The media-processor solution does not satisfy all PC OEMs. Some system vendorts believe that the classic approach, with separate subsystems for graphics and audio, provides a more useful form of flexibility. By offering a selection of graphics solutions-a low-end 2D/3D chip on the motherboard, or a few different PCI cards-as well as hardware and software alternatives for audio, vendors can create a well-differentiated product line. Media-processor boards can be difficult to fit into this strategy. Even though media procesors can provide high-preformance graphics along with high-quality audio, they potentially eliminate several configurations from a system vendor's product line.
This problem is really the result of the cheklist mentality that prevails at many PC vendors. Product differentialtion is achievid by checking off a different set of items-3D acceleration, MPEG playback, wavetable audio, etc. Media processors are just too good at this game: they allow the vendor to check off every box, as long as the media processsor has the right software available.
The narrow checklist view makes media processors look so good that vendors have a hard time explaining why the user should want any other system configuration. The solution to this quandry is to offer media-processor solutions at several performance levels. Low-end and midrange systems can be differentialted solely by the software components sold with the system, while high-end systems can be equipped with faster hardware and even more software."
Now what does CUBE want 2D/3D graphic talent for? To compete with Chromatic, or for something else? |
