(Gates likes non-PC net connection methods - LSI 2nd in STBs and likely in top 3 in digital cameras)
----
Gates sees non-PC devices taking lead on Internet
SEATTLE, June 2 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates on Tuesday predicted that consumer devices such as televisions and cameras connected to the Internet would become more common than personal computers.
"There's no doubt some time in the next three to 10 years we'll cross over that threshold," Gates said at a meeting of computer database experts.
He said televisions, cameras and handheld "palmtop" devices would become increasingly important as the Internet becomes a more widely used vehicle for communications and business transactions.
Gates said engineers would face challenges getting such devices to work together, and he said scalability continues to be a challenge as the Internet grows rapidly.
As an example, Microsoft's recently acquired Hotmail free electronic mail service adds 100,000 users a day, he said.
"At Microsoft we're pushing forward on scalability," he said. "It's never been our view that the PC has an upper bound."
Gates also demonstrated Microsoft's TerraServer, a database of satellite photos that will be one of the largest on the Internet when it goes on line this month, with 800 gigabytes of data
The project was created over the past 18 months by Microsoft's research group, which includes 300 researchers and will double to 600 by the year 2000.
"This has been the fastest-growing part of Microsoft, and that will be the case for many, many years to come," he said. "I would like to see other software companies do more in this area."
---
shane. |
