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Intel kills Consumer Electronics
bribecka writes "Saw this on CNet News.com: Intel has decided to phase out its consumer electronics division. This division was responsible for digital cameras, digital audio players, and other gadgets. " Not really surprising considering the way things are these days.
I thought the only reason Intel was even in that business was to promote "their" USB technology. The microscope, the webcam, keyboard and mouse, joysticks...They were all USB devices, and Intel pushed them forth as some of the coolest things available on USB. Unfortunately, Intel has yet to learn that fads don't sell products long-term, hence the "failure to meet long-term growth potential". Well, duh! What'd you expect from selling a fad product?
"Mod, mod, mod...and another troll bites the dust."
to concentrate on VIA cloning their chips.
I can imagine the commercials now... someone injects some blue blood into a test tube, and comes out with a warped and deformed Blue Man.
Then, as the scientist shoots the miserable spawn, a caption appears:
"Intel P4: Accept No Substitutes."
Goat sex free since 2001
One thing I like about the industry is the diversity of it all. You can walk in a store and be able to choose the product that better suits your needs. With Intel out of the (digital) picture (pun semi-intended), this might create doubt in the smaller manufacturers out there and make a few more drop out of the running. Worst case scenario, it might create a monopoly, at least, in the consumer electronics venue.
Which company am I going to turn to to get my hemmorhoid ring shaped, iMac blue, wireless game pads? (http://www.intel.com/wireless_series/gamepad.htm)
Oh the humanity...
"Music, Pictures, Video
Intel Takes Technology Beyond the Processor"
it would have been helpful to add the word "department" at the end of the headline. Saying "Intel kills Consumer Electornics" might freak some people out.
Got Freedom?
Thinking?
Dear Intel,
Please release the specs and documentation associated with the products you've discontinued. For example, the Intel Pocket PC Camera, along with your other webcams.
Thank you.
complex
If you noticed, every Intel "consumer" product was designed to work with a PC, the faster the processor the better. Basically, their consumer products were designed to drive more PC (and hence, Pentium) sales. Just another way to extend your marketing reach...
Intel is sitting pretty right now (relatively speaking, considering the state of the industry), and also PCs have already reached saturation as well. So they probably don't need "more" -- considering that consumer electronics is so far removed from Intel's core competencies anyways.
Same thing you've BEEN doing with it, I reckon.
That is, unless you were only using it as a way to remember which company to buy consumer electronics from.
Head's up /.
The title of this story is "Intel kills Consumer Electronics"
There is a magazine called Consumer Electronics, who may not be too happy about that title. I actually thought that Intel somehow did the magazine in.
I highly advise that the title be changed to something like "Intel Kills Consumer Electronics Division".
It made sense for Intel to get out of consumer electronics.
Declining global economy - Electronics are "luxury items" and therefore are cut first from consumers' budgets.
Less name recognition - Intel is widely recognized as a leading chipmaker. But for audio players PDA's and such, most people weren't aware, or simply went for bigger names like Rio or Palm.
Also note they are closing their Online Services Division, as well.
This will be best for the company. Focus on what it does best.
Example: How many consumers really want an MP3 player in thier home entertainment system? We love it (and spend lots of time talking about the best way to do it), but does the average consumer?
I think this may be a trend. Geeks think of cool things, and start doing them. Someone in marketing says "Hey, look what the engeneers are putting together for themselves... if they want it and can do it... maybe we can market it!" A few months later geeks are interested... but marketing is looking at consumers not geeks... and projects get abandoned.
I mean, think about it, when's the last time you saw an add for a portable mp3 player on TV. I've just recently heard a few radio adds for car stereo with mp3 support... but nothing like the Rout 66 project.
If I can't see it in Lynx I'm not interested.
In a sweeping move today, Intel Corporation has decided to boost revenue during the current looming recession by making drastic changes to the chip market.
It plans on killing off the consumer base.
"Consumers are starting to get smart," tertiary chief marketing analyst Joe Nooty said, "They are realizing that they don't actually need to upgrade from a 866MHz Pentium III to a 2.0GHz Pentium 4 to have a good Internet experience."
"We don't appreciate how our clients becoming unemployed and unable to think about buying our absolute latest product," said another marketing person, "It's time to give them the axe and redefine the market."
Execution of human beings, except for those employed by Intel, will commence in Q1 2002. The new Pentium 5 (or Pentium Pentium, codenamed Pentium Squared) will debut and will offer a fish-friendly interface.
"The reason for the fish-interface is simple. The world is 75% covered by water. We'll make a killing in sales by targetting the largest body of species in the world," claimed Nooty.
Intel representatives refused to answer our calls when we asked sent in questions such as: How do you plan to make "money" off of fish? Where will all these human consumers be burried? What will Intel do as a lone-standing human civilization? And did you ask Microsoft how they plan to port Windows XP (for eXPired) for oceanic fauna?
In my opinion, Intel was TERRIBLE at making and marketing consumer products. They would sell a product with important details still buggy.
For example, I bought an Intel computer video camera. There was software to record videos, but there was no way to compress them so that the videos could be sent by email.
There was software to record audio, but there was no way to pause the recording. Each period of recording had to be a separate file.
Intel sold a PCMCIA network adapter that didn't work with Sony laptops. There was a piece of paper in the box that said to visit a particular web site. The site said that the adapter did not work with laptops using a particular chipset. The main site for the product did not mention this, however, and there was no link between the two..
U.S. government corruption: What should be the Response to Violence?
Bush's education improvements were
When the economy picks up in a few months, Intel will spend a bunch of money re-opening its Consumer Electronics Division. So will all the other megacorps who are having a contest to see who can lay off the most employees, shut down the most divisions, and finish the year in the black. I think people ("consumers" in business parlance) are just a little scared about spending money right now and are delaying purchases--rather than becoming introspective about overconsumption and all the other things that make America the Great Satan. When everybody feels a little safer again, the money will start rolling up the pyramid into the vaults of the upper caste yet again. Besides, the holiday shopping season is almost here.
While I was whoring for my undergrad business degree, I remember my profs always speaking of the risks of doing business, etc... I'm beginning to think that only applies to sole proprietors. Historically, corporate owners were only liable to the extent of their investment. With the $100,000,000,000+ US that Bush is trying to give to the megacorps, how can any of them still believe they will lose money this year?
"What is the sound of one belly slapping?"
I'm just sort of glad Motorola hasn't decided to ditch their much more popular 680x0 breed of processors, which can be found in everything from your phone to your PDA to your older computers. Intel leaving the industry just means there's more money to be made if you're one of the "other", higher quality chipmakers.
"Look at me, I invented the stove!" -- Ben Franklin
"Honey, the stereo died again, we can't seem to keep anything working around here anymore..."
Fade in scary music. Pan to Fentium, the little chipster busying reading BOFH. clickety-click.
Pan to vacuum cleaner. See the new mexican jumping bean robots disappearing up the tube. Pan to the TV set, where the volume is at full, on channel 3.5, with Barney singing a duo with HAL.
-- Another senseless waste of fine bytes.
Anyone know if this will be discontinued too? I believe they acquired it when they acquired Xircom.
JOhn
Campaign for Liberty
Low margin because they made cheap stuff. I have the Intel Play microscope, and it's pretty crude resolution. It come swith a few slides of bugs and stuff, but the resolution is so poor that the best you can hope for is a fuzzy look at some detail. Digital microscopes usually $700+ affairs, for pretty good ones, and with a few extra bucks put into this thing they could have had the science market of every school in the country. Too bad they didn't put some real entrepeneurs in charge of that division.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
The Intel play microscope goes up to 200x magnification... problem is, it has a cheap ass web-cam type video capture device...
However, my nieces and nephews have easily gotten my money's worth of play out of this item, and it has spark more than enough questions/curiosity.
While it is a low-fi item, with crap software, I would have to say that I have enjoyed owning it.
Ever looked at the writing on an M&M? My nieces & nephews have... and it made them relieze many things...
Disney Kills Consumer Electronics?
Wait a minute. That is the next story...
"Trademarks are the heraldry of the new feudalism."