Supercheap PCs Are Back
The Buzz: How much would you expect to pay for a fully functional PC with a 10GB hard drive, 128MB of DDR RAM, a keyboard, a mouse, a modem, four USB ports, Windows, and a suite of basic apps? Try $185, or $249 with a 15-inch CRT monitor. AMD, in association with international partners, is readying the Personal Internet Communicator, a fat-paperback-size machine that's part of its "50x15" initiative, intended to outfit half the world's population with computers by 2015. Primarily targeting first-time buyers, the PIC runs on AMD's Geode GX500 processor and a specially developed Windows CE-like operating system dubbed Windows XC.
Bottom Line: Microsoft's Steve Ballmer recently conjectured that sub-$100 PCs would remove the temptation to pirate software (or at least OSs) worldwide. How ironic: The PIC might just hit that price point if it used Linux.
Where TV Is Headed
The Buzz: You already have broadband, and perhaps you're considering using those same Internet pipes to make phone calls with VoIP. Well, get ready for TVIP, or television over Internet Protocol. Microsoft's IPTV service--currently in international trials (including with SBC in the United States)--aims to deliver TV to any device over phone lines and some programming on demand. Many European companies are running pilots of their own, and according to FCC chair Michael Powell, virtually every major U.S. telco is working on a TVIP offering.
Bottom Line: TVIP is inevitable. The storage capacity is available, as are a host of advanced compression algorithms and enough off-the-shelf hardware to hold down set-top box costs. Factor in a slew of existing customers, and you have a captive (and receptive) audience.
Viruses for Linux
The Buzz: One classic computing myth has it that Linux is virus-proof. The reality: Linux is vulnerable. But just as the infamous outlaw Willie Sutton robbed banks because "that's where the money is," virus writers target Windows because that's where the people are. Linux is gaining traction, however, and attention-seeking malware purveyors are starting to generate Linux-oriented exploits. For instance, a recent bogus e-mail, claiming to be from the Red Hat Security Team, offers a "critical patch" that is actually a highly destructive Trojan horse. You can expect this trend to grow as migration to Linux accelerates.
Bottom Line: Linux was due for some attention, but Windows is definitely still the big (Swiss) cheese.
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