Intel

Blitzkrieger

The news mentioned tonight that Intel contribted some of the lost jobs to a slowdown in PC sales. I was just thinking that it's the manufacturers' fault for the slowdown.

Don't get me wrong, it's nice that my current PC is never likely to be incapable of running any given application, and even that my old Dell will always be able to run IE, MS office and can currently run most games(though not well). But as we're seeing the slowdown is causing job losses and will probably slow down the pace of development too.

The main problem is that most people don't make full use of their PCs. How many people have 500 - 1,000 Mhz PCs just for email, surfing and word processing? Some manufacturers provide software for photo editing and video editing but even then the PCs potential is barely used. Only the latest and greatest games continue to stretch the PCs legs.

In PC Plus magazine's letters page (it's not all comedy) a guy was talking about TiVo video recorders. He was saying his PC had all the basic components (how big are the HD's in those things?) and more, to perform the same funtions as the TiVo. The more being that it could also edit the video and possibly become the center of a home entertainment system - playing DVDs, music, watching TV, playing games, surfing, etc.

He asked if it would be possible to include a workshop in the magazine that would allow him to use his PC as a TiVo player/entertainment system. The editor replied that it was a good idea and would consider including it in the future. Several people wrote in expressing enthusiasm for the idea but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

I think it would be an excellent idea. Behind me there's a stereo system, a TV, a VCR and a SKY digibox. Rupert would never allow it but my PC could easily replace all of these, and out-perform them. For me, if manufacturers want to sell PCs, they have to show people how to make use of them.

Kali

just about those last two paragraphs and why the PC as it stands now will not become the centre of home entertainment:

#1: several different uses means several different people trying to use it at the same time for different tasks.. ouch.

#2: cost to get equivalent performance: can you imagine the cost of a 28" monitor? a proper soundsystem (sblive notquite up to par there).

#3 VCR playback on a PC? ouch.

#4 DVD playback from your standard PC will not outperform a dedicated player.

now while its a good idea for say a small apartment or a simple room, as a _home_ entertainment solution its just not viable at all, I mean anyone whos used those Unison tv boxes will tell you how annoying it is when someone wants to watch something and someone else wants to email a friend

Blitzkrieger

Several different users might cause problems but the PC does have multitasking. My own PC would play a DVD and do some other tasks at the same time. You'd use a TV-out to plug into a normal TV (if you wanted a bigger screen) and use the hd for recording instead of a video. As for the individual sound/DVD components not being as good as individual ones - it wouldn't be that hard to improve the quality.

It just doesn't make sense to have all these different devices doing almost the same job. E.g. : a TiVo player is just a hard drive with about as much processing power as my wristwatch.

WhiteWashMan

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Blitzkrieger:


But as we're seeing the slowdown is causing job losses and will probably slow down the pace of development too.
.</font>

development will never be hit. it sth eonly thing that market leaders have on their rivels. besdides big companies make huge amounts from development.
for example, through development, IBM made over 1 billoin pounds from patent copyrights in 1999. thanks to development. people are easy to replace, fire and hire. but developemnt costs a whole ot more

amp

True, the slowdown is more to do with the fact that the dotcom bubble has burst and as a result what was once a stampede to become an "e-company" has become a more realistic march.
The domestic market for pc's is large but a mere drop in the ocean compared to what companies spend on IT.

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