Paul, Re upcoming (read very soon) Mendocino and other announcements, I did some reading on Intel's home pages about "Wired for Management". Sounds like this is going to be announced for Mendocino, the article you posted says: "With a boost in performance and corporate features such as Wired for
Management, low-cost PCs coming later this month will make it even more
difficult to justify redesigning networks to use
network computers (NCs), industry observers said."
I like this feature (WFM) a lot. It should go a long way toward ensuring that networked PC's can get as good as, or better, system administration "care" as Unix workstations or even mainframes get.
The four main functions of WFM appear to be:
1. Asset Management
Built-in instrumentation identifies the internal contents of a system,
including hardware and software components, as well as static and
dynamic data such as how much memory is currently in use. This
instrumented data provides a wealth of information for inventory
control and asset management, and is available remotely from any
machine connected to the network.
of course, if anything looks "wrong", like some memory was pilfered or something (not uncommon in Si Valley), it can be quickly spotted and fixed.
2. Service Boot (Remote New System Setup)
A service boot feature makes it possible to configure or reconfigure a
system remotely, even with a blank hard disk drive. The computer
system has a service agent loaded locally in the BIOS. This agent
allows remote, pre-boot access to the system, making it possible to
install the operating system and user configuration of a new system
without a technician present.
Big brother may be watching you, or controlling your PC!.
3. Off-hours Maintenance (Remote Wake-up)
A remote wake-up feature, combined with remote boot and other
remote control capabilities, gives technicians the ability to run
maintenance tasks remotely during off hours.
4. Reduced Power Consumption
Built-in power management reduces the computer's use of power by
allowing it to go to a low-power sleep state. WfM-capable systems
support the Energy Star requirements of the EPA Pollution Preventer
Certification. Reduced power consumption reduces the cost of
operating the system.
Like the article says, these features will help hold off any NC threat (if there is any left), and any corporate desktop competition, period (if there is any left).
Tony
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