You have to be very careful when talking about handsets, because these are devices that are heavily subsidized by the network providers
It is a simple matter of the total electronic content. The average handset, and even up to the iphone type, has less content than a netbook, therefore it is cheaper assuming roughly equal technology and volumes. My point is that installed base, which has worked for MSFT & Intel on the PC is not working for them in the hotter consumer segments currently. Sure Netbooks are hot by PC standards, but that is not saying much.
The one thing that Jobs/Apple has done excellently at is defining new paradigms, although IMO the business aspects they often did poorer on. MSFT & Intel have done very well at slowly and predictably evolving one market, with good business success, but terrible performance on defining new paradigms.
I wouldn't be surprised if such a thing was part of the Intel-WiMax strategy all along.
Yes, MSFT might succeed ala the XBOX, but so far in the mobile space they don't seem to be able to get the iphone type breakthroughs. IMHO, it is more a MSFT problem than an Intel/Atom issue. But Intel/Atom does not have an advantage if MSFT does not come through.
Why would this be an advantage for ARM?
Because it allows SOC designs implemented by design teams at other companies, including vertically integrated ones like Samsung and Apple who have shown a liking for that sort of control of their destiny. I suppose Intel might decide to start playing that way with Atom, but so far they have not shown any desire to on their leading edge devices. |
