Paul,
What is your view of the impact of this alliance?
news.com
All-in-one chip for low-cost PCs
By Jim Hu
January 30, 1998, 7:05 p.m. PT
Chromatic Research and Motorola (MOT) said today
they are working together to offer a host of
multimedia functions on a single, low-cost chip that
will be targeted for use in sub-$1,000 PCs.
The partnership will result in the integration of
Motorola's 56-kbps software modem technology with
Chromatic's Mpact 2 multimedia processor. The
Mpact processor works in addition to the PC's main
processor to accelerate graphics, audio, and DVD
video functions.
The Mpact chip provides a lower-cost alternative for
PC manufacturers by reducing the need for expensive
dedicated cards and modem chipsets in multimedia
PCs.
For instance, by using Motorola's software to
incorporate the modem functions into the Mpact chip,
a computer maker can free up an expansion slot
normally reserved for a modem card. Additionally, by
using fewer expansion slots in a PC, the Mpact
processor frees up the main microprocessor to accept
other functions outside of multimedia.
"The benefits to the [sub-$1,000 PC] industry is one
of cost reductions through integration and leveraging
the power of the Mpact to do not only multimedia but
also advanced communications technologies," said
Dave Wilt, a spokesman for Chromatic.
Both companies are aiming at offering a low-price,
integrated platform to OEMs (original equipment
manufacturers) because some 40 percent of
computers sold are now priced under $1,000, by
some estimates.
In the past, PC makers have been able to price
machines below $1,000 by stripping out multimedia
functions, according to Chromatic. But company
executives believe their chipset will be attractive
enough to bring those functions back while keeping
PCs priced low enough to appeal to the sub-$1,000
market.
"We hope to enable a second generation of sub-$1,000
PCs that are multimedia-rich rather than
multimedia-poor, which is what you have in today's
first generation," Wilt added.
The companies plan to deliver a 56-kbps modem
integrated with the Mpact "mediaware" platform to
OEMs in the spring.
Currently, Motorola features K56flex modem
technology, meaning that it connects with other
modems using the same technology. Chromatic
expects to adopt industry-standard 56-kbps
technology, called "V.pcm," by the summer.
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Barry |
