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AMD Cuts Personal Internet Communicator

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the making-way-for-the-new-thing dept.

DaGiants writes "AMD has killed the Personal Internet Communicator (PIC), one of the first major efforts at designing ultra low-cost PCs for the third world. Ars Technica reports that AMD decided to pull the plug, taking a loss on the project. AMD can't be too disappointed though, as the OLPC uses AMD's Geode x86 processor, and delivers a lot more for much less. While OLPC gets most of the attention these days, AMD's role in spurring interest in low-cost PCs for developing nations can't be overlooked."

14 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. Good decision by Salvance · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Considering that low-end desktop computers (w/ monitors and software) are now running in the $300 range from large computer vendors, it's tough to make a business case for selling $250 computers to third world countries ... so it sounds like they made the right decision. Either that, or they realized that since even Negroponte's $140 alternative wasn't really catching on, there'd be no way that a $250 machine would.

    --
    Crack - Free with every butt and set of boobs
  2. Is the developing market lucrative? by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When building low-end devices based on boards like Geode, margins are so razor thin for the OEMs that it generally requires the presence of a significant market demand for the product just to make up the development costs. How you can spin the dissolution of an unprofitable division as a strategic market win and continued prosperity for that particular segment baffles me.

    There is a need for low-end computers to satisfy the basic computing needs of developing countries, but those computers need to be based off of hardware that has relatively good performance compared to the average PC. Geode is a baseline platform good for set top boxes and kiosks, it fails it as a true PC computing platform.

    1. Re:Is the developing market lucrative? by suv4x4 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Geode is a baseline platform good for set top boxes and kiosks, it fails it as a true PC computing platform.

      Hello. I'm writing this from AMD K5 100 MHz. Yes. 100 MHz.

      8MB RAM.

      Do you think it's impossible to use? It's certainly not the machine I use for 3D and Photoshop design, but still I managed to get ermm "informed" by Slashdot, and post a responce.

      How powerful a Geode is? It's certainly better than AMD K5 100 MHz.

    2. Re:Is the developing market lucrative? by El+Torico · · Score: 3, Funny

      Luxury. I once posted to slashdot using a 386-based PC I built from parts that were left for trash pickup and an acoustically coupled modem dial up connection.

      --
      In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
    3. Re:Is the developing market lucrative? by MustardMan · · Score: 4, Funny

      You had acoustic couplers? We had to print out the info and whistle it into the phone. Kids these days...

    4. Re:Is the developing market lucrative? by TheDreadSlashdotterD · · Score: 4, Funny

      Man, that whistle beats having to send the print via pigeon. You must have had some low ping times with that.

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      I have nothing to say.
  3. Re:Liquidators? by xoundmind · · Score: 3, Informative

    Used:
    On Ebay

  4. More bonus for us by ghoul · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yoohoo We got rid of a loss making project. Next quarters profit sharing is going to be sweet.

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    **Life is too short to be serious**
  5. Buzz off bozo by ghoul · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You get the right to make fun of Hector when you have achieved 1% of what this guy has achieved. This is a guy born in Mexico who travelled across the border everyday to attend high school in Texas, went from no English knowledge to valedectorian of his high school gradiuation class in 4 years, finished a bachelors and a PhD in engineering (Yes he is a real techie unlike the slashdot script kiddies who took a 6 week course during the boom and call themselves IT professionals and now that they are unemployed spend their time bitching on Slashdot)

    This is also a guy who has taken AMD and turned it into a lean mean green machine which ate Intel's lunch.

    When you do something with your life other than bitching than you can make fun of him

    --
    **Life is too short to be serious**
  6. Before I brought PC's to the 3rd world by the+Gray+Mouser · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would invest in a communications infrastructure to support them. Ground up wireless phone, computer, TV, and anything else that can be broadcast.

    But, before I did that I would build a transportation infrastructure, so there were roads everywhere people wanted to go and goods could be moved from one place to another efficiently.

    I know computers seem high on slashdot readers' priority list, but honestly, America did pretty well without them for a long time. And many 3rd world citizens would love to have the standard of living that Americans enjoyed in the early 20th century.

    I'm not saying computers are bad or not helpful. But the grandiose schemes of bringing them everywhere when so many more basic needs and wants haven't been met seem a bit misplaced.

    1. Re:Before I brought PC's to the 3rd world by ghoul · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The American standard of living was a fluke. It was supported by the opening up of vast areas of land and dispossesing the original inhabitants and then pumping and exporting oil like crazy while the real developed world aka Europe was shooting itself in the foot with two world wars. If not for the wars America would stay a middle level power with a mostly farming based economy . So the early 20th century lead is not coming back. America can still stay ahead by shifting the economy over to new generation stuff but if the 3rd world wants to catchup it would be stupid to follow America's route. For one most 3rd world countries dont have a hell lot of cheap land and cheap oil so they actually need to use their brains to get ahead and for brain powered industires PCs are more important than roads. Anyway roads are a very inefficient and wastefull mode of long distance transport. THird world countries would be better off with India's example which has the worlds largest rail network

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      **Life is too short to be serious**
  7. 299 Laptop by ghoul · · Score: 4, Informative

    Forget Desktops I saw a 299 dollar Celeron laptop at Walmart today. And you can pretty much assemble your own computer for 200 dollars in India so a 250 dollar PIC is kind of dead. And if AMD actually ramps up and starts producing chips at its Bangalore contractor factory we can look forward to even cheaper chips

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    **Life is too short to be serious**
  8. Yes it can by Gorimek · · Score: 4, Funny

    AMD's role in spurring interest in low-cost PCs for developing nations can't be overlooked."

    I'm overlooking it right now, buddy!

  9. PSA by Ctrl-Z · · Score: 4, Informative

    For those who don't know, OLPC is an abbreviation for One Laptop per Child (and not One Love Peace Concert).

    ... Karma whoring since 1998.

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