Integrations and Mhz speed races...
The market likes believing that they must buy the fastest (in Mhz) processor that one can afford because, in the past, this was true.
But all of a sudden, faster processors don't necessarily translate to a better computing experience. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any money to be made in creating a slow integrated piece unless it is marketed outside the Windows market where speed doesn't matter [unless they can provide blow out numbers in the 3D benchmarks with that slow processor].
The CPU of the Playstation2, which will be a set top box internet appliance, runs at only 300Mhz and is due for release in fall of *next* year. At a time when Intel (and possibly others) will be over 1Ghz, this thing WILL sell like hot cakes. But of course in the console market, bit width is the marketing standard and nothing less than 128 bit processors will do...
Someone with money (IBM, Compaq, AOL, AT&T, etc) needs to pick up NSM/Cyrix and buy Corel Corp (COSFF, currently a bargain at $200 million) and make an easy to use Linux box, bundled with Corel's office applications, internet/email capabilities and console-like gaming.
Jeesh - competition for MSFT, INTC, and AOL all for a few billion dollars. |
