Bill -
General purpose vs. specialized processors
You are paraphrasing Gordon Bell's rule #28, 'general purpose MIPS are always cheaper than special purpose MIPS to do any given job'. But we are not talking about special processors or even limited-function OS here. My microwave oven example may have been a little facetious but the idea that a well designed consumer system which comes equipped with 50 applications which do most everything a home user would want to do, for $399, is not. And unless MS makes a big shift in strategy those systems will not be running windows anything.
Linux (as an example) is a general purpose OS which can run many thousands of applications. If a home user can do web browsing, word processing, spreadsheet calculations, email, home digital photography, etc. all from a standard out of the box computer appliance, with no setup, no driver hassles, compatibility with Microsoft (and other) office programs, and no problems connecting to the net, many will find that a completely satisfying experience, especially if the equivalent wintel based machine is twice the price and 4 times the hassle. I am not predicting the end of the Wintel dynasty here, but I am saying that millions of new systems may be sold as soon as next year that are outside of the wintel paradigm. And that provides the mechanism and market volume to drive applications that can interact with the wintel world without being a part of it.
I am very familiar with both the embedded NT initiatives and what's happening with CE. Neither addresses this other market. |
