Microsoft PC by Christmas?
01/08/07 12:55 Filed in: Technology
I've been catching up on a lot of email over the last few days. Some of which was SPAM and some of which was people just keeping in touch.
An old friend of mine Aman sent me a link to a very interesting couple of articles regarding the potential of Microsoft launching a PC. You'll find the links at the bottom.
But would Microsoft really create it's own PC? Sounds crazy.. but then five years ago would you imagine that Microsoft would create a top selling games platform in the guise of the Xbox and Xbox 360 or would try and usurp Apple's ubiquitous iPod with it's own Zune player. In the former example they got it all right (although recent details of Xbox 360 early deaths have not done Microsoft any favours) and in the later, all wrong.
But what platform would the Microsoft PC run on. You might imagine that Intel would be best choice. After all, for all those people outside Silicon Valley, Wintel is the phrase of choice.
But the reality is that Intel and Microsoft have not 'got on' in years and Microsoft still owns stock in AMD. Remember the 'design for Windows' AMD K5, K6 range?
So when Forges ran this story at the end of June it certainly made a number of people sit up. I'll cut the story down.
AMD and Microsoft have teamed up with India's Zenith Computers to launch a personal computer aimed at Indian students. How much they invested in this is something of a mystery.
But the key thing is that this is a MICROSOFT branded PC.
So would Microsoft launch a PC outside India? It's an interesting idea. But the reality is that they may face still opposition in the courts if they lock down the device. If you cannot run Linux on the unit then European anti-competition lawyers would soon be sharpening their pencils for court.
I'm going to have a good think about this.
References
Marketwatch article
Forbes article
An old friend of mine Aman sent me a link to a very interesting couple of articles regarding the potential of Microsoft launching a PC. You'll find the links at the bottom.
But would Microsoft really create it's own PC? Sounds crazy.. but then five years ago would you imagine that Microsoft would create a top selling games platform in the guise of the Xbox and Xbox 360 or would try and usurp Apple's ubiquitous iPod with it's own Zune player. In the former example they got it all right (although recent details of Xbox 360 early deaths have not done Microsoft any favours) and in the later, all wrong.
But what platform would the Microsoft PC run on. You might imagine that Intel would be best choice. After all, for all those people outside Silicon Valley, Wintel is the phrase of choice.
But the reality is that Intel and Microsoft have not 'got on' in years and Microsoft still owns stock in AMD. Remember the 'design for Windows' AMD K5, K6 range?
So when Forges ran this story at the end of June it certainly made a number of people sit up. I'll cut the story down.
AMD and Microsoft have teamed up with India's Zenith Computers to launch a personal computer aimed at Indian students. How much they invested in this is something of a mystery.
But the key thing is that this is a MICROSOFT branded PC.
So would Microsoft launch a PC outside India? It's an interesting idea. But the reality is that they may face still opposition in the courts if they lock down the device. If you cannot run Linux on the unit then European anti-competition lawyers would soon be sharpening their pencils for court.
I'm going to have a good think about this.
References
Marketwatch article
Forbes article