Personal Internet Communicator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Personal Internet Communicator (PIC) is a simple and affordable consumer device designed by AMD in 2004 to allow people from the emerging countries like India, Mexico or the Caribbean to allow access to the internet. The PIC has already been deployed by Internet service providers (ISPs) in several developing countries. It is based on an AMD Geode CPU and uses Microsoft Windows CE and Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0.
The fanless PC runs low-power Geode x86 processor and is equipped with 128MB DDR memory and a 10GB 3.5-inch hard drive. The device's price is $185 with a keyboard, mouse, and preinstalled software for basic personal computing and internet/email access and $249 with a monitor included.
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[edit] Business model
The PIC is branded, marketed, and sold by local service providers such as telecommunications companies and government-sponsored communications programs. AMD owns the design of the PIC, but the device is currently manufactured by Solectron, a high volume contract manufacturing specialist. Other companies integrated into the development include Seagate, Samsung, and Macromedia.
The ISP's include the Tata Group (India), CRC (Mexico), and Cable and Wireless (in the Caribbean). PIC should market to consumers in five cities in India. CRC is claimed to offer the device in Mexico along with a suite of educational software. Cable and Wireless plans to deploy the PIC in support of disaster relief efforts throughout the Caribbean.
[edit] 50x15 initiative
The Personal Internet Communicator is a part of AMD's 50x15 initiative to help enable affordable Internet access and computing capability for 50 percent of the world's population by the year 2015. The current global Internet penetration rate is approximately 16 percent (2006).
[edit] PIC Hardware
The device is designed for minimal cost like a consumer audio/video appliance, is not internally expandable, and comes equipped with a minimum set of interfaces which include: a VGA graphics display interface, four USB 1.1 ports, a built-in 56Kbps ITU v.92 Fax/Modem and an AC'97 audio interface providing sound capabilities.
PIC's specifications:
- Geode GX 500@1.0W processor, 366MHz clock rate
- VGA display interface
- four USB 1.1 ports
- 56Kbps ITU v.92 Fax/Modem
- AC'97 audio interface
