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To: Ian Anderson who wrote (36851)	2/2/2000 1:07:00 PM
From: Stuart Steele	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93625

Samsung outlines plans to introduce sub-$200 'throw-away' PC By Jack Robertson Electronic Buyers' News (02/02/00, 10:50:30 AM EDT) Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is readying a radically new generation of disposable PC which it will release for a retail price of less than $200 in time for the 2001 holiday season. According to Samsung, the concept perpetuates the market's low-cost-computer business model, whose next incarnation is expected to take shape around the highly integrated Timna processor slated for release by Intel Corp. in mid-2000. However, where the Timna will be incorporated in a conventional PC enclosure, Samsung's new platform will be entirely sealed, preventing users from upgrading the processor, graphics, memory, or other components. Bob Eminian, vice president of marketing for Samsung Semiconductor Inc., the San Jose-based chip subsidiary of the Korean electronics giant, said the sealed system will be the ultimate "throw-away" consumer PC. "At an under-$200 price point, the PC has no need to be upgraded," Eminian said. "It will simply be replaced." Eminian said the low price is possible because the processor and main memory will be attached directly to the motherboard. Controller functions for memory, graphics, modem, and LAN interfaces will be integrated into the processor, saving additional cost. "There's no need to have access for inserting cards," he said. "All the functions are embedded in the processor itself." Eminian said the PCs will use a Timna-like processor, although he declined to specify whether the CPU would be manufactured by Intel or elsewhere. The platforms will use a few 128-Mbit SDRAM chips or even fewer 256-Mbit Direct Rambus DRAM devices, he added. Costs will be reduced further because no memory modules will be required. Eminian said the sealed PC could create a major market for Direct RDRAM. "A 128-Mbyte main memory could be obtained with just two 256-Mbit Direct Rambus chips," he said. "The same memory configuration could be used in handheld Internet devices. With both OEM products selling in huge quantities, their total demand for chips could create economies of scale to make Direct Rambus chips very price competitive." The Samsung official also said sealed PCs would eliminate one of the biggest cost factors for OEMs-after-market service and maintenance. "Many service problems are caused by faulty repairs attempted by the owner, as well as by improper environment or contaminants getting into the PC," he said. With a sealed $200 PC, it would actually be easier to replace the entire unit than to try to service it, Eminian projected. OEMs might salvage the processor and possibly the hard drive from returned sealed PCs, while the rest of the board would simply be scrapped. For latest industry stock quotes, click here for the

To: Ian Anderson who wrote (36851)	2/2/2000 1:15:00 PM
From: Dave B	Respond to of 93625

Ian, "But Sir, you don't expect all* the bits on a device this advanced and this high capacity to work do you?"* LOL! Yes, I can see you've shopped there. I've sworn several times that I would never shop there again. Ever. But last November I bought a hard drive that I returned in early December. They took it back without so much as a blink. I started watching during my Christmas shopping and found that salespeople were actually offering to help, checkout people were actually curteous (and I even had a second person step up and help continuing checking me out when the first person had to go check something), and I even walked past the guys who mark your receipt with the pink marker once when the line was too long and NO ONE TRIED TO STOP ME (wow!). As far as I'm concerned, they're still on probation, but my sense is that they've gotten the Customer Service religion. Dave