Coming soon: the £80 computer
A GROUP of technology companies says it will soon be selling personal computers for $150 (£83) each, leaving Microsoft and Intel out in the cold in the booming Chinese market.
US chipmaker PMC-Sierra is leading the initiative, which is based on research carried out at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
The new network computer is called the PMC Xiao Hu, which is Mandarin for small tiger. It will run Linux software, and a number of companies will make the chips. The computer is aimed at the growing middle classes in China and Third World countries.
Its developers plan to network the PC in classrooms, internet cafes, smart terminals, point-of-sales terminals and video kiosks.
The initiative 'has the potential to redefine computing globally', said PMC-Sierra chief executive Bob Bailey. 'It offers to drive significant increases in networked appliances in developed economies as well as for emerging economies,' he said.
