Or just add a $35 Chromecast stick in the back of any screen, job done. The on-going problem with smart TVs is that the "smart" part is out of date long before the display. Case in point: at home I have a flat screen full HD TV from 2007; but I'd barely consider using a laptop from that era, let alone a smartphone.
Psst.. Wanna Android all-in-one PC? We have the chip tech, says Intel
Intel did its bit for the ongoing “tabletisation” of the desktop PC at its Developer Forum this week: it's encouraging engineers to get cracking on Android-powered “Smart Display” systems to go on sale in 2014. The chip giant’s pitch is that these 17- to 21-inch devices - basically, huge tablets with a keyboard - will appeal …
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Thursday 12th September 2013 13:51 GMT Anonymous Coward
It sounds so nice
but I don't think it will work.
Yes indeed, many PC owners do not do very much with their home PC's - web, email and just a few other things. But I believe many home PC owners EXPECT their PC's to be able to do just about anything they want...and that's the problem. Android applications simply do not do 'full functionality'.
For example, TurboTax is probably one of the most popular home PC applications. The home PC owner probably bought their first PC to gain functional access to the internet, then opened their first email accounts, then joined Facebook...then started doing internet banking, photo storage, personal finance (TurboTax et al) and then maybe work from home...
As their experience with their new home PC grew, so did their usage. But when they purchased the PC they knew, had expectations, that they could grow into its full capabilities. Some people will buy an Android home PC and be 100% satisfied with it, that is for certain. But many smartphone owners will scoff at the idea of having a home PC with the inherent limitations of their smartphone - where are the full function applications? Lightroom? TurboTax? Word / OpenOffice / LibreOffice? "Why am I paying good money for a limited device?" will be the refrain.
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Thursday 12th September 2013 14:53 GMT Jonathan 29
Re: It sounds so nice
I honestly have never heard of TurboTax before, but I just checked and they have an iPad app, so nope I don't think I will need Windows for that either.
I am seriously tempted to take the noisy, ugly desktop down the recycling plant, but I would still like something with a keyboard. I just can't decide between a touchscreen and stick or an All in One Android.
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Thursday 12th September 2013 14:01 GMT Steve Brooks
History has shown that forward thinking like this is just so much wasted faffing around, the public decides what the public wants, and no amount of telling them what they want will have any effect. recent examples, 3D TV, MS Surface. The correct procedure is to just keep throwing kit at the great unwashed and see what sticks, I mean who could have predicted that Blackberries would become the chav wannabe communicator or that 7 inch tablets were the way to go.
You just keep feeding raw materials into the factory at one end and pushing kit out the other end, if the masses like your kit you will make billions, if they don't no amount of telling them they should will stop you going bankrupt.
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Thursday 12th September 2013 14:38 GMT Goldmember
What makes them think....
... this is what the public wants? PC's are in decline because the masses don't want to have to sit at a desk and use a device with a keyboard. Your average punter wants to sit on his or her fat arse on a couch (or on a train/ bus/ plane), and keep up with Facebook or emails using a device they can hold in their hands.
The software running the device on the desk isn't really the issue, it's having to sit at the desk in the first place.
And I shudder to think of the horror a tablet on a stand will be if it has a bloody Celeron chip int it..
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Friday 13th September 2013 07:00 GMT John Smith 19
"Am I wrong or is *everything* turning against Microsoft now? Even once-brotherly Intel seems to be kicking Balmer in the nuts every chance they get."
No. Intel's relationship with MS is much longer (and more dysfunctional) than that.
They just MS to give them a bit more attention, a few more Intel only goodies in the next version of Windows for example, having re confirmed their devotion by producing the deliberately crippled ARM only Windows RT.
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Friday 13th September 2013 05:43 GMT Christian Berger
Re: £189 !
Well the _big_ advantage of a pi is that it runs normal Linux. You can upgrade or modify it to your needs. That would also be the advantage of an x86/PC based solution, as you could run any OS on it... however the marketing of Intel seems to ignore that constantly.
The big advantage of the x86/PC architecture is that it decouples the hardware from the operating system. You can just run any OS on any hardware with only minor modification, since you have ways for the OS to enumerate your hardware. ARM does not yet have something like that.
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Thursday 12th September 2013 18:29 GMT xperroni
"the clout of Intel when it comes to evangelising new product categories"
Wasn't Intel trying to push something called a "Mobile Internet Device" a while back? Before they switched to the idea of "ultrabooks" as if that was their form-factor of choice all along? Which by the way isn't doing terribly well either, or so I hear.
So yeah, you might want to reassess this vision of Intel as a great (or even effective) trend-setter.
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Thursday 12th September 2013 19:20 GMT Derek Kingscote
Raspberry Pi
This thing is proposed to have HDMI in.
Perfect for a RasPi
Media Server; Libre Office; Youtube, Gmail, Facebook and Twitter etc
As was recently asked in a magazine :
"is there anything a RasPi can't do?"
Pity they don't do a 10inch version
Microsoft will start Pooping themselves real soon now!!!
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Thursday 12th September 2013 20:11 GMT Anonymous Coward
Intel
I noticed on twitter earlier I was getting adverts for Intel and their new announcement. The thing I found interesting was it was worded in a way that was referencing confectionary and sweets and sugary goodness. I can't remember the exact wording, but it made me think of Android. Needless to say I didn't click on the link and didn't know about their Android love in until I read this article later..
At one point Microsoft and Intel went hand in hand, but now it looks like Intel are 'seeing other people' now that Windows RT has been designed for ARM.
People say Android can't replace a fully featured Desktop, but Android is getting more and more standard PC like with every release meanwhile Windows 8 is getting dumbed down. By the time 8.9 rolls around I think we will just have four buttons. Stop, Start, Yes, No.
I think Microsoft are in a tough position because they want to go after consumers and they want the mobile market, but Google are smart and they've taken the mobile market by storm and they are in a place where they can scale Android to the desktop and to the enterprise. There are people working on a version of Wine for Android too, so it's not too far fetched that at some point in the future you could run your old traditional windows apps on an Android Desktop while Microsoft are too busy chasing a piece of whatever pie Apple are eating to focus on what they built their reputation on - Good OSes
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Friday 13th September 2013 05:42 GMT Steve Davies 3
Re: Four buttons in Windows
Hi', I'm windows 8.8. Did you know that we have removed those oh so old fashioned buttons and now we read your mind and do what you want before you have even thought of it.
user thinks, fuck you microsoft.
Sorry Dave, I can't let you do that.
Here's some soothing music instead bought to you by your Zune Player.
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Thursday 12th September 2013 21:49 GMT Herby
That big of a screen...
...is a bit "unportable". Look, if you ARE going to do it then you should "go big". Make a desk with a nice full screen embedded in it, complete with touch screen. Call it the "executive desk" and let marketing have at it. Sure you might need to enlist some furniture maker for the wood parts, but bigwigs would gravitate to it. You would escape the need of having a screen on the desk as it would BE the desk. No need for a blotter.
To those in product development: feel free, and good luck.
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Thursday 12th September 2013 22:04 GMT Henry Wertz 1
Outdated
"But how does "play media files across the network" get outdated in terms of the hardware? If it's powerful enough to do it today, I don't need to upgrade it."
I've found with smart TVs, dvd players, etc., that they typically NEVER update the file formats it supports, so in a few years you'll end up with a set that will not play your H.EVC/H.265 files, even if the CPU in the TV is plenty fast to do so. I'm really not hating on them, they work pretty well at least for some years.
Anyway, I'd love to get one of these and stick Linux on it, or more likely one of the ARM sticks.