Chuz, I'm not seeing how you conceive the thin client server as being problematic. The concept of the dumb box has been in the larger corporate world now for at least the past five years - and the affect to the "Dell smart box" has been minimal. In fact larger corporations have continued to upgrade to higher performance terminals. One main reason that upgrades will most likely continue is the intigration of standard corporate communcations with the box on the desk. A "dumb" box will not have the technical "guts" to handle the intigration. for example, a wirless modem conected to the box costs (intended to speak with the server wirelessly, or speak via roaming direct to a mobile phone) anywhere from $400 to $1100, depending on the model - and this is just the modem. Other software and ASICs are required for the box to perform in this manner. Your $500 dumb PC, then, will not be capable of serving these higher corporate efficient needs. Most your IT people realize that many businesses are moving in this direction (larger corporation first, next the SOHO) - one look is at LMDS wireless local loop market and how it is replacing the wired box within buildings - this Lucent market is doing well.
Dell's announcement today re Com2001 has much to do with forwarding this transfer of assets.
MD's speech on broadband was clearly intended to move in this direction, even though the average investor, I think, doesn't quite grasp, as yet, what "broadband" and the move to 3G fully entails. |
