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| Home >> Index Pages >> Informational Pages >> Discount Computer Systems >> News >> Collection of Essays from Scholarship 2007 >> |
Jack Salamanchuk- by Jack Salamanchuk 2007 will be remembered as a critical time in the history of computing. Today, many would credit Apple's introduction of the iPhone and its' multi-touch user interface as the defining invention of year. Certainly the iPhone was a significant product, and millions will have purchased one the year's end. What is also certain is that no technology will ultimately have a greater impact on the computer industry and the world at large as a new generation of notebooks: the OLPC, Intel's Classmate, and Asus' EEE PC. With billions of potential users, this new generation of PCs has already reinvented the notebook and will soon change how we experience technology across the world. The new generation of notebooks is significant as it challenges both popular conceptions of what a computer should be as well as how new technology enters the market. Historically, consumers have purchased computers largely on the promise of greater power. Increased processing ability, more memory, and more storage space have often been heavily promoted as the key determinants of performance. To the unknowing consumer, the OLPC, Classmate, and the Asus EEE PC are not as revolutionary at first glance when compared on these older criteria. In fact, in terms of raw specifications many would be surprised to learn how very different they are from conventional machines. Understanding the advantages of these computers therefore requires a deeper understanding of the technologies that make them unique. The most obvious advantage of this class of computers is extreme portability at low prices. The gap between notebooks of this generation and traditional consumer models is tremendous. In many cases it would be possible to purchase an OLPC, a Classmate, and an Asus EEE PC for the price of a single subnotebook of similar dimensions. The low cost, modest power consumption, and high portability of these devices will allow them be reach a very broad audience, from ordinary users looking a light web enabled PC, to classrooms across the world. The new generation of notebooks is also challenging the rules of how the computer industry adopts new technology and manufactures its' products. Advanced technology such as ultra low voltage processors (ULV), LED backlights, and solid state drives (SSD), which are generally only commonplace on high end notebooks can now be found in many of these machines. This largely refutes the erroneous idea that these computers contain obsolete technology. This is not to stay this class of notebooks was intended to rival high dollar multi-core alternatives, but for their intended uses these machine are more than capable, and incorporating the latest technology provides a solid foundation for the future. Using a blend of proven and emerging technologies is only part of the larger strategy behind these machines. Production itself has to be adapted to the requirements of this potentially staggering market, where runs are expected in the high millions. The low price points of these notebooks demand tight integration between suppliers and manufacturers from the earliest planning phase to final production. The influence of this phenomenon on major semiconductor suppliers such as Intel is perhaps the most telling. In recent years Intel has introduced the Classmate, provided the chipset and processor for the Asus EEE PC, and joined the board of the OLPC project. Clearly they believe this will become a vital market in the future. One potential question is how manufacturing trend continue to evolve in the future, and how will it change mainstream computing? The answers are unclear. This new generation of notebooks could eventually be transformed into a sort of information appliance, and be produced along the lines of consumer electronics, which tend to comparatively have fewer differences within a line than computers. How this issue is resolved depends largely on the strength of the platforms these products create. It seems unlikely that the bulk of the mainstream market will be affected by the arrival of these PCs in the short term as conventional computers will continue to offer more performance to those who need it, and allow nearly infinite flexibility in hardware and software. Perhaps the largest threat the new generation of notebooks will present to the status quo is the popularization of computing to billions of users whom will experience their own personal computer revolution for the first time. It significant that this new generation of notebooks will introduce users across the world to Linux and the concept of open source software. Linux is preinstalled on the OLPC, the Classmate, and the EEE PC, and will likely be the operating system students across the world learn computer literacy and programming on. Not only will this present a major challenge to Microsoft and established software publishers, it will allow a generations of programmers to develop their own software on their own terms. The world of software is already international, yet introducing an extra billion computer users will have dramatic effect on the industry. The scale and diversity of software created will be immense. Not only will localized versions of software be more widely available, but also new applications will be created. We may see the next version of PhotoShop (or GIMP) from a programmer whom was given his start thanks to one of these machines. The new generation of notebooks may also finally bridge the digital divide, which separates the rich from the poor in our communities and across the world. Lowering the price of computing will allow greater access to information and improve the quality of life and education. Now is an exciting time in the history of computing. We are at the beginning of something that will change the industry and the world. What has started as the reinvention of the notebook will bring computing to potentially billions of people whom missed the first personal computer revolution, but will now experience the second. References: | Directron.com College Scholarship | Related Items: | Chris Covington | Cirrus Foroughi | Jennifer Furtado | Jennifer Story-Salacup | Jie Li | Maria Khan | Paul Frederick | Shawna Harpole | Steven Li | Veronica Muo | |
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