Just when you thought all was quiet on the personal
computer (PC) front, with entrenched competitors
grimly holding onto their market share, a new battle
has broken out. Due to the rise of the mobile Internet
device (MID), traditional computer processors face
new competition from the camps of cell-phone and
set-top box vendors. The result is a confusing call to
arms as processor vendors recruit developers to occupy
territory in what is still a nebulous market.
“A paradigm shift has started in the computing
industry,” says Mike Bryars, manager of the infotainment,
multimedia, and telematics operations at Freescale
Semiconductor. “We are starting to realize that
other types of devices can connect to the Internet
that are better than a PC. We no longer need an open
platform. Developers have to come at this from
the embedded space, designing these devices to
provide specific functions.”
This industry shift is a result of two factors:
the ascension of the Internet and technology convergence between the computing, communications, and consumer
sectors. The Internet’s meteoric rise in consumption created
a market opportunity for devices that can provide users with
essential Internet access at low cost. Essential access, most vendors
agree, includes unrestricted Web browsing, e-mail and social networking,
and multimedia playback.
Other desirable functions might be included in an Internet
access device, such as image and video capture, basic office productivity,
and personal navigation. But the key requirement is providing
high-quality interactions with the Internet and the World
Wide Web. Device functionality is built in, although users can
also download and run browser plug-in applications. As a result,
designs are free from constraints to a specific hardware architecture
or to a specific operating system.
THREE ARMIES CONVERGE
As this market opportunity begins to unfold, this design freedom
along with technology advances have given processors from the
communications, consumer, and computing industries the potential
to serve the market. The performance of application processors
in cell phones, such as those from ARM, Freescale, and Texas
Instruments, has improved to the point where they can now handle
the media and graphics demands of the Internet experience.
Similarly, the media players and set-top boxes of the consumer
industry with processors from MIPS, Nvidia, and others have
expanded their networking and display capabilities to match the
Internet’s demands. PC processors from vendors such as AMC,
Intel, and Via Technologies can also address the market, but
they have a different challenge to solve.
“The applications requirements in this space—browser,
e-mail, and media playback—are less demanding
than full desktop computing,” says Bob Morris, director
of mobile computing at ARM, “and the majority
of what Internet users want can be done with other
processors. PC processor technology has overrun
what is needed in this space and we are coming up
from underneath.”
The challenge for personal-computing processor vendors, then,
is to scale back their PC offerings and address the low power and
cost requirements of the emerging Internet access market. Thus, a
three-way battle is brewing for capturing design wins in the Internet
access device market. Exactly what those designs look like is
still unclear, though.
Processor vendors apply a wide variety of terms to refer to the
devices in this market (Fig. 1). Names such as “netbook,” MID,
and ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) are common and sometimes used
interchangeably. The one thing vendors agree on is that these
devices aren’t general-purpose PCs. “The PC was a Swiss Army
knife,” says Bill Henry, general manager of the mobile Internet
device business unit at Nvidia. “These devices are targeted.”
DEFINITIONS REMAIN UNCLEAR
Despite the lack of consensus in the industry, some clarity is
emerging. Processor vendors appear to be targeting designs that
roughly separate out into three general classes with somewhat
different form factors. At one extreme is the low-cost PC, also
referred to as a “netbook,” or a “nettop” computer. These designs
target computer users with limited needs or first-time computer
users who require a starter device.
Low-cost PC designs retain some of the look and feel of a PC,
but don’t offer extensive multitasking capability or unrestricted
programmability. Instead, these devices have their basic functionality
built in and load any additional applications from the
network through the browser.
They primarily support viewing and playback of files rather
than creation. Also, they have 8- to 10-in. diagonal displays and
reduced keyboards. Solid-state mass storage is used rather than
hard drives. And while they’re portable, these devices often target
extended desktop use so that battery life isn’t a critical concern.
Low cost is the key characteristic, with retail price targets typically
$300 to $400.
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