You know it's interesting to see the semi's down and see this story about NSM's system on a chip. Systems on a chip have been formulating for a long time, but something has always held them back. Mostly, I guess it's been just too hard to deal with yields when you make the thing too complicated. Still, you can bet that Intel has also got a system on a chip in development and for whatever reason, they've not brought it out.
Now, when you see the semiconductor stocks down as they are, it makes you wonder. What will happen to these chip suppliers who will be obsoleted? I know Cypress makes clock chips, SRAM and other pieces. Who will suffer should this project succeed? I would think circuit board makers and assembliers would be hurt?
Also, you saw the out cries over Intel getting so much mother board business and how that was killing the differentiation of computers. Well, put it all on a single piece of silicon and what will you have?
LSI Logic has been building toward this point as well. It would be interesting to see if Brian Halla and Wilf Corigan decide to bring something together. I wonder what the synergies would be?
So, you get the chip set down to one piece. You still have to have storage, memory, keyboards and screens, modems (?), etc. What will you really save? By the time it's availabe in volume, PII's will probably be selling for $100.
Regards,
Mark |
