Microsoft looks within to design and test chips

Microsoft is exploring hardware design in part because of new tools that will make it possible to test ideas quickly.
The New York Times

The story "Microsoft looks within to design and test chips" published October 19, 2006 at 5:51 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from The New York Times expires after 7 days.

[Penguinisto]

MSFT becoming an "Apple" of sorts?

I don't see it. MSFT would have a damned hard time competing with OEM's. The nanosecond Dell or HP get wind of any serious efforts in that direction, they'll start pushing (and funding development for) Linux-loaded desktop PC's at a very brisk pace.

That, and I could see Michael Dell scraping and bowing at Steve Jobs' feet to get a Dell-ready port of OSX made just to survive what he would see as a threat from Redmond.

[rmiecznik]

yep...

If I was OEM, and any of this crap was true, I would back stab Windows, end all ties and put in a billion or two and deveop own OS on top of BSD like Apple did or Linux, which makes a lot of sense too.

[DemiHampster]

Hardware as good as their software

I can't wait.

[Hardrada]

hopefully

Microsoft has partnerships with hundreds of companies - many of whom produce very low cost hardware with little r&d or QA. Poor quality hardware and drivers have led to numerous problems that Microsoft inevitably receives the blame for, and exorbitant costs to support tons of different implementations (which generates competition and benefits the customer).

Microsoft could easily reel in support costs and improve quality by creating a vertical solution ala Apple. Margins would go up and development / support costs down.

As much as I think this is a really good idea, it will never happen (read: DOJ and EU would never allow it). I suspect the basis for this story is that Microsoft is considering building some minimal custom silicon for r&d / proof-of-concept purposes and CNET has just blown it way out of proportion.

[Himanshu_Joshi]

kill Apple by Copying them

That's interesting move by Microsoft...currently they are planning for Xbox only but
will be in destop/laptop market soon..i have no doubbt for that...it will not only help
them in desinging and driving world by software and hardware but will also help them
to make software or hardware which will be intercompatible...
Apple has exceed in this field as compaired to microsoft and they will
feel the pressure now.

thanx
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://montoojoshi.googlepages.com/universeunleashed" target="_newWindow">http://montoojoshi.googlepages.com/universeunleashed</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://montoojoshi.googlepages.com/onlinecompiler" target="_newWindow">http://montoojoshi.googlepages.com/onlinecompiler</a>

[rmiecznik]

whatever...

I love Apple, they are not going anywhere, if anything MS will get killed.

Don't care for that stuff, always freezes and crashes.