larry-
system on a chip has been a buzzword for years. i cant wait to see the REAL pricing on these machines when the chips are made on 8" wafers.
the funny thing is, cheap computers are available NOW. there needs be no more waiting. the problem is that consumers want a $2000 system for $799. but, people cant get that, so they moan and whine about buying a computer. SO, EVERY chip maker says we will engineer the entire system on one chip. well, cyrix is already doing roughly the same thing. hers the rub...this system on a chip is going to be REALLY expensive. cyrix integrates A/V functions and controllers into, i think, 3 chips. then they charge (again, not completely sure) $200 for it with a MB. the problem is you can get the same thing for less than $200.
with soundcards and video cards going (combined) for less than $40, there isnt a lot of room for improvement.
as for integrating DRAM into the chip package...yes, it will happen, but there will still be system memory.
good luck to all,
trey |
