Over the years, CNET News.com senior writer Ina Fried has had around a dozen one-on-one interviews with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. She just returned from Redmond, Wash., with her latest (I won't say last, because you never know!) interview, and I sit down with her in Tuesday's edition of the Daily Debrief and talk about his imminent departure from the company.
As everyone has suspected, and as Ina reiterates, Gates will, despite his retirement, continue to play a part-time role at Microsoft, lending his expertise and vision where he sees fit. One particular pet project is the continued development of the company's search technologies. Friday is Gates' last day with Microsoft, and while I imagine the departure will be imperceptible to the general public, it will no doubt be fascinating to see how Gates' baby takes its first few steps without him.
The inventor of the Sugar user interface used in the One Laptop Per Child's XO says his company is developing a version for Intel's own low-cost laptop.
(Credit:
Intel)
Walter Bender said in an interview Thursday with PC World that "a community volunteer is working with Intel on Sugar for the Classmate PC. Sugar Labs helped to expedite the relationship."
Bender is the inventor of the kid-friendly interface, which sits on top of a computer's operating system. His company, Sugar Labs, was spun off from OLPC in May. At the time of the announcement, Bender said Sugar Labs was already talking about sharing the UI with at least four other low-cost laptop makers, including Asus.
He described OLPC as the "primary, but not exclusive, downstream project" for Sugar Labs, and confirmed that the two companies continue to work together on further development of the UI.
That Intel will be working tangentially with OLPC again is notable. The chipmaker left its position as board member of OLPC in January, citing "fundamental differences" between the two companies' visions for low-cost computing. Previous to that, OLPC's founder Nicholas Negroponte had asked Intel to stop selling their Classmate PC platform because it was interfering with sales of the XO. Unsurprisingly, Intel declined his request.
Pictures of the Eee Monitor, the upcoming all-in-one desktop PC from Asus, have surfaced.
A PC World reporter at the Computex trade show in Taipei snapped a few photos of a company slide showing the Eee Monitor. Head here for the images.
It appears quite iMac-esque--shiny and white with a minimalist design. And although Asus isn't confirming a price just yet, it's a fair assumption that the Monitor, part of Asus' low-cost Eee line, won't have an iMac-esque price tag.
Details surfaced in January suggesting a $499 price point. The Eee Monitor is supposed to use Intel's Shelton platform and include a TV tuner, and a display between 19 inches and 21 inches.
It should be available in September, which is almost a year after new all-in-one PCs from Dell and Gateway began to hit the market.
The proliferation at Computex of ultra-small, inexpensive netbooks poses this pesky question: why are traditional ultra-compact laptops so expensive?
The Asus Eee PC 1000 debuted this week with a 10-inch screen, 40GB solid state drive, and Windows XP. Pricing has been rumored at between $600 and $700.
Features and size threaten to push the Eee PC 1000 netbook into a category traditionally referred to as subnotebooks--with one glaring difference: price.
Subnotebooks like the 11-inch Lenovo IdeaPad or Sony Vaio TZ series typically start at above $1,500 and go up from there, ranging up to $3,000.
HP mini-note and traditional ultra-portable notebooks: both ultra-compact designs, but big price gap
(Credit: HP)But as netbooks inevitably add more features, analysts and industry insiders are beginning to wonder what will happen to the traditional laptop category. "(If) you add more (gigabytes) of storage and a bigger screen, I don't know what makes this any different than a normal laptop," said Avi Cohen, a managing partner at Avian Securities.
Cohen said the obvious downside is a slower Atom processor--compared with a mainstream Core 2 chip--but on the upside Atom has better battery life. "Arguably there's a category of consumers that don't need such high processing power. Or, at least, a different kind of processing power," Cohen said.
Maybe many more than computer makers realize. Industry sources familiar with Intel's netbook strategy also see a potential clash of categories eventually. "Of course, it's always been a concern, as (netbooks) gets more and more traction," said one source familiar with Intel's thinking on this topic.
And as netbooks add more features and creep up in price, Intel has to worry about the market confusion that may ensue. "Is a $700 laptop, even running Atom, a netbook?"--the source asked. That may be the question that laptop vendors and Intel will have to grapple with as the netbook category grows.
(An Intel company blog back in March described the netbook as a small laptop "designed for wireless communication and access to the Internet. And they cost about $250, making Netbooks a potentially disruptive and high volume market segment.")
Of course, subnotebooks like the HP 2510p, Lenovo IdeaPad, and Sony Vaio TZ offer more features than today's netbooks: faster processors, more memory, bigger hard disk drives, and usually larger screens than a netbook like the HP Mini-Note.
But two forces may be working against this purported advantage: One, all of these features may be overkill for a lot of consumers who use traditional, pricey subnotebooks for only email and simple Web browsing. And, two, netbook makers may continue to expand their offerings to push them closer to subnotebooks while keeping the price low.
This is something that Glenn Henry, CEO of Centaur, the Via Technologies subsidiary that designed the Isaiah processor, has said. "The one gigahertz (Isaiah) is plenty powerful enough to do lots of things," Henry said. Via is also targeting the low-cost netbook category--and has been for some time. Its C7 processor is currently used in the HP Mini-Note 2133.
"If this category continues like it is, at the end of the year you may have mega hard drive-based netbooks," said the source familiar with Intel's strategy. "Let's say someone comes out with a really nifty (design), it's got some extra features, a bigger screen, and a few extra bells and whistles. I don't think that's a netbook even if it's running an Atom processor."
What is it then? That's the $64,000 question.
If there was any doubt about the state of solid-state drives, Computex seems to be putting it to rest.
SanDisk, TDK, and Intel, among others, are announcing new solid-state drives while Asus is launching the Eee PC 1000 with a larger-capacity drive.
SanDisk pSSD solid-state drive
(Credit: SanDisk)Solid-state drives (SSDs) are used increasingly instead of hard disk drives in small computers like the Asus Eee PC and devices like the Apple iPhone because SSDs use less power and are generally more rugged--due to the fact that they have no moving parts.
The Asus Eee PC 1000, for example, will be offered with SSDs up to 40GB in capacity, beating the 20GB SSD offered in the Eee PC 901.
With this market segment in mind, SanDisk introduced a line of solid-state drives that are designed for "netbooks"--a category of compact, low-cost notebook PCs best exemplified by the Eee PC.
The SanDisk "pSSD" (Parallel ATA solid state drive) is available in 4-, 8-, and 16-GB capacities. The device can achieve a "streaming read" speed of 39 megabytes per second and a streaming write (record) of 17MBps, according to SanDisk. These speeds compare favorably with the low-performance 1.8-inch hard disk drives used in small notebooks.
The pSSD solid-state drives are expected to be available starting in August when pricing will be announced.
TDK also launched new solid-state drives. The "HS1" series is a line of 1.8-inch solid-state drives with the Micro Serial-ATA (SATA) interface. The Micro SATA specification provides for a smaller connector for the high-speed SATA interface used widely in PCs today.
The HS1 series offers capacities of 16, 32, and 64 gigabytes, respectively. The product uses SLC (single-level cell) NAND flash memory. SLC-based solid-state drives are used widely, today but many SSD manufacturers are planning to move to more advanced multilevel cell (MLC) technology later this year.
Burst performance is 100MBps for reading data and 50MBps for writing data. These speeds compare favorably with 2.5-inch hard disk drives.
TDK's SSDs are now available for volume shipment at sample prices of about $1,900 for a 64GB model and about $1,400 for the 32GB model.
On Tuesday, Intel will introduce the Z-P230 Parallel ATA (PATA) series of solid-state drives. The Z-P230 "is a cost-effective storage solution designed to replace traditional hard disk drives in netbook and nettop systems, yet is four times smaller and lighter than a standard 1.8-inch hard disk drive," Intel said. The drives come in 4GB and 8GB capacities.
The Intel SSDs are being launched along with low-power Atom processors that include the N270 for netbooks and the 230 for low-cost desktops--what Intel calls nettops. The chips run at up to 1.6 GHz with an average power consumption of 2.5 watts.
Intel will also announce high-capacity solid-state drives in the second half of this year that have capacities of 80GB and 160GB.
Asus new Eee Box super small form factor desktop.
(Credit: Asus)Word got out a little early this morning regarding Asus's small Eee Box, so we can share what we saw in a preview in our offices a few weeks back. The small, Wii-looking PC will hit the U.S. via online retailers (and perhaps a few specialty brick-and-mortar shops) later this year.
The listed dimensions of the unit are 8.5-inches high, 1-inch wide, and 7-inches deep, standing upright on its included stand. It can also lie down flat.
Official specs are as follows:
- Operating system: Linux System/ Hardware Compatible with Windows XP
- CPU: Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz, FSB 533)
- Memory: 1 GB / 2 GB DDR2
- Hard drive: 80GB / 160GB 5,400 rpm
- Chipset: Intel 945GSE + ICH7M
- Integrated graphics chip: Intel GMA 950
- Networking: 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN, 802.11n WLAN, Bluetooth optional
- Media card reader supporting: SD, SDHC, Mini SD, (Micro SD through adapter) ; MMC, MMC plus, MMC4.x, RS MMC, RSMMC4.x (MMC mobile through adapter);MS,MS PRO
For its rear ports you get two USB 2.0, one Gigabit LAN, a DVI output, left and right audio line out with S/PDIF, and an input for a WiFi antenna. There is no optical drive, but the Eee Box does feature a user removable hard drive to simplify upgrades and repairs.
Asus is selling a variety of other Eee Box configurations around the world, but it will have three available in the U.S. One for $269 comes with 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and an unspecified version of Linux. Another Linux-based model comes with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive for $299. Finally, a Windows XP-based version with 1GB or RAM and an 80GB hard drive will sell for $299.
When it comes out later this summer, the Eee Box will complement Asus' much-talked about Eee PC laptops, and it will compete directly with Shuttle's KPC K-4500 Linux desktop. While none of those systems are exactly mainstream, they're all known for low prices and a surprising amount of features for the dollar.
Sony is prepping a notebook based on Via's OpenBook reference design, PC World is reporting.
At the WiMax Expo taking place in Taipei, contract manufacturer Quanta Computer showed a mini-laptop based on Via's just-released design that will be out in the third quarter of this year. A sharp-eyed reporter spotted Sony as the listed manufacturer for the device. When questioned, Quanta representatives apparently clammed up, and it doesn't appear Sony will be commenting either.
The mini notebook has an 8.9-inch screen, at least an 80GB hard drive, will use a 1.6-Gigahertz C7-M processor from Via, and sports a VX800 chipset. The prototype on display was running Windows Vista Home Basic.
So has the Vaio maker finally caved? In February, a Sony exec said if the Eee PC started to do well, and major PC makers started to chase the low-cost laptop market, it was the beginning of "a race to the bottom."
Too late. Hewlett-Packard, Acer, and maybe even Dell, are joining the low-cost, lightweight computing fray. And those are just the big names. Asus continues to crank out Eee PCs, and similar devices from no-names like MSI are widely anticipated.
Sony likes to position itself and its products on the high-end. But it started producing a line of its Vaio notebooks last year that sold for as low as $800. At the time, the company said it wasn't interested in going any lower.
Things, of course, can change. And though low-cost laptops are still a tiny niche of the market, it is another way for manufacturers to differentiate their product lines as notebook prices and profit margins continue their inevitable decline.
WiMax is in the cards for the Eee PC. Asus will demonstrate notebooks Monday that integrate WiMax chips from San Jose, Calif.-based GCT Semiconductor.
Asus Eee PC
(Credit: Asus)Despite recent statements that the Eee PC 901 will not get WiMax, GCT Semiconductor announced--along with Asus--Sunday that Asus has integrated GCT's GDM7205 WiMAX single-chip silicon into the F8 notebook series and Eee PC.
GCT says the F8 series and Eee PC will be demonstrated with WiMax at the WiMax Expo Taipei that begins on June 2nd.
The widely-reported specifications for the Eee PC 901 are a 1.6GHz Atom processor, an 8.9-inch screen, solid state drive (12GB or 20GB), 1GB of memory, and either Linux or Windows XP. A future version of the Eee PC is expected to get WiMax.
Intel will also be demonstrating WiMax in the Asus M51VA notebook at Computex. Versions of the Eee PC may also come with the Intel WiMax chipset.
But Asus is clearly working with GCT also. "We are pleased to be working with a proven industry leader like GCT, who has enabled Asus to provide our customers with systems containing reliable high performance WiMax capability," said Jellent Sun, Asus' senior director of notebook product marketing, in a statement.
GCT said that its single-chip WiMax solution enables "lower power consumption for longer battery life, smaller form-factor design and lower bill of materials cost."
GCT is also supplying WiMax chips for notebooks based on Via Technologies silicon.
PC maker Lenovo turned in a strong financial performance for its fourth fiscal quarter, with revenue, profits, and PC shipments all seeing notable jumps.
For the quarter that ended March 31, Lenovo said that profits attributable to shareholders grew 133 percent to $140 million from the same period a year ago. That figure includes $36 million in net profit from the sale of discontinued operations (its mobile handset business). Earnings per diluted share hit $1.44, a rise of 112 percent.
Revenue for the three-month period rose 13 percent to $3.7 billion.
China-based Lenovo said that worldwide PC shipments grew 21 percent, ahead of the industry average growth rate.
Notebook PCs outpaced desktops for the quarter, with notebooks making up 61 percent of total sales versus 38 percent for desktops. Notebook shipments were up 38 percent, while desktop shipments were up 9 percent.
The company's Greater China business accounted for 34 percent of total sales during the quarter, while its Americas business accounted for 27 percent, slightly ahead of the percentage for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Asia-Pacific sales excluding China accounted for 15 percent of sales.
Former One Laptop Per Child President Walter Bender has formed a nonprofit called Sugar Labs, which will advance the Sugar graphical interface he originally created for the low-cost computing project.
Sugar Labs will partner with developers of Sugar-compatible applications and other hardware makers that want to use the user interface on their devices.
"By being independent of any specific hardware platform and by remaining dedicated to the principles of free and open-source software, Sugar Labs ensures that others can develop diverse interfaces and applications from which governments and schools can choose," Bender wrote on the Sugar Labs Web site.
One of the first of the "others" on the list is Asus' popular Eee PC.
Bender moved on from OLPC last month after it was revealed the project's founder was leaning toward abandoning the use of Sugar and Linux in favor of putting Windows XP on his $188 XO laptops.
Microsoft and OLPC made it official yesterday, though there will still be OLPCs offered with Linux. In an interview with CNET News.com, OLPC founder and Chairman Nicholas Negroponte said the company is aiming to port the XO's Sugar interface over to Windows and has been "in discussions" with third parties, which would appear to refer at least in part to Sugar Labs.
