PC for the living room
Michael Kanellos | November 16,2006 6:13 PM PST
Advanced Micro Devices has created a prototype computerdesigned to go in the living room, resembling like a stereocomponent, basically the design of the computer as a media vault:it stores music, videos, TV shows and photos, then pipes them toflat-panel TVs and other PC. PC manufacturers can imagine, as areference design of the prototype.
There will be the computer in the living room .They do notlike personal computers. Some of this type computer may come outnext year.
Those who tried to enter the living room computer companies,including Gateway and Compaq, which tried to sell large-projectionTVs linked to PCs in the late 1990s. But high prices led to lowsales.
In early 2004, Intel's Paul Otellini Revealed the EPC(Entertainment Personal PC) at the Consumer Electronics Show. Itscumbersome appearance and noise fan crimped sales. Intel Viiv toupdate its personal computer line of thinking. However, most ViivPC is not packaged in sleek, small cases will fit in the livingroom TV stand. Most Viiv PC is about the same size as standarddesktops and laptops.
Apple also introduced a Mac Mini in 2005, but despite goodreviews, it is not a cultural phenomenon.
PCs based on Intel chips are manufactured into the livingroom, but they're not computer. Toshiba's HD DVD player runs an x86chips. Some set-top box also used Intel chips.
In Vista, Microsoft's upcoming new operating system, consumerswill be able to broadcast high-definition content on PC - providingthem with an incentive to pick up a living-room PC.