On June
21st, Intel launched two new lines of chips, codenamed Grantsdale and Alderwood,
which it says are the most compelling changes to the way PCs work in over a
decade. Intel claims, PCs will be all-in-one hi-fi devices, entertainment PCs,
and vaults for digital
content.
Intel’s vision
is that consumers will start to use their PCs at home to download, store and
manage films, songs and games, to transmit all this fun stuff wirelessly to TV
screens and stereo speakers throughout the
house.
The kids could then
watch Shrek 2 in the basement, while mum listens to Brahms in the kitchen and
dad browses the holiday pictures on the main TV screen. As such, Intel’s
vision is neither new nor ambitious.
For years, futurists have been
peddling notions of digital nirvana in the home. In its wilder forms, this
includes fridges that know automatically when to re-order milk via the internet,
garage doors that open by themselves, and toilet seats that warm up at just the
right moment.
The vision of
digital content is a much more compelling one than that of home automation. And
this is why the new chips may turn out to be as important as Intel claims.
They are an opening salvo in a
battle between the computer and the consumerelectronics industries over who will
dominate the digital household, says Jen-Hsun Huang, the chief executive of
NVIDIA, the world’s largest maker of graphics chips.
Intel hopes that PCs will
dominate and morph into media hubs. On the other side are the giants of consumer
electronics. Sony wants future versions of its game consoles, rather than PCs,
to play the role of digital hub. TiVo, a leading maker of digital personal video
recorders, has hopes for its machines. So do makers of TV set-top boxes.
(The
Economist)
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