With the upcoming launch of Microsoft Corp's new operating system (OS) Windows Vista, the whole PC supply chain is poised to see growth next year, fueled by replacement demand, industry insiders said.
"Vista will bring new business opportunities to computer makers," said Calvin Chang (張敬仁), vice president of marketing at Acer Inc, the world's fourth-largest personal computer maker.
He made the remarks at an industrial forum held by Microsoft Taiwan at Ilan with the participation of local computer, peripherals and component makers.
Chang expected Vista to boost global PC sales to achieve "exponential growth" next year.
This is supported by the success of earlier operating systems, such as Windows 98, which raised global PC sales by 60 percent in the first year after its launch in 1998, and Windows XP, whose launch in 2001 lifted PC sales by 20 percent, he said.
To fully enjoy Vista's powerful features, PCs should have at least a 1GHz processor, 1GB random access memory (RAM) and a 128 MB graphics card.
Chang said that these higher specifications should boost replacement demand as users turn to more advanced machines. This in turn would raise PCs' average selling prices, benefiting computer makers.
Already more than two years behind schedule, Microsoft plans to release Vista to corporate customers next month before the OS becomes generally available in January.
In addition to computer makers, peripheral manufacturers are gearing up to cash in on the Vista effect.
Nexgen Mediatech Inc (
"Vista supports high-definition picture quality and multimedia content. It will encourage people to go for LCD TVs," said Ben Cheng (
This will open the door to wide-screen TVs, which can enhance viewing pleasure with their wider aspect ratio compared with conventional TV's 4:3 ratio, he said.
Meanwhile, Powerchip Semiconductor Corp (
"It will be a rosy outlook for DRAM makers," Powerchip vice president Peter Ting (
Vista's new applications cover graphics, networking, display, portable devices and storage, which all require memory, he said.
The advent of Vista signals the transition to 64-bit architecture from 32-bit, and it will push DRAM technology's shift to DDRII 800 and DDRIII, he said.
He assured users that although 1GB would be the minimum RAM requirement, their prices wouldn't be that much more expensive than the 512MB chips that most PCs are running on now.
"This is the cycle of the industry as makers move toward more advanced technologies. Double memory sizes do not equate to prices that are two-times higher," he said.
Microsoft is convinced that Vista -- an investment of US$20 billion -- will be a success.
"The impact of the release of Vista will be as huge as Windows 95, if not larger," said Davis Tsai (
Windows 95 was introduced in 1995, marking a milestone for OS history as it paved the way for the switch from the 16-bit DOS architecture to 32-bit, with the introduction of graphics user interface.
In the face of market optimism, Taipei-based researcher Market Intelligence Center (MIC,
"The shift from Windows XP to Vista will gradually start in the second half of next year, with greater changes happening in 2008," said Cynthia Chyn (
As Vista is a brand-new platform offering powerful features and involving a slew of devices, its adoption will have to rely on the readiness of the whole PC supply chain, she said.
At the end of the day, what users are looking for are the solution's compatibility, stability and low total cost of ownership, she said.
Taiwan Transport and Storage Corp (TTS, 台灣通運倉儲) yesterday unveiled its first electric tractor unit — manufactured by Volvo Trucks — in a ceremony in Taipei, and said the unit would soon be used to transport cement produced by Taiwan Cement Corp (TCC, 台灣水泥). Both TTS and TCC belong to TCC International Holdings Ltd (台泥國際集團). With the electric tractor unit, the Taipei-based cement firm would become the first in Taiwan to use electric vehicles to transport construction materials. TTS chairman Koo Kung-yi (辜公怡), Volvo Trucks vice president of sales and marketing Johan Selven, TCC president Roman Cheng (程耀輝) and Taikoo Motors Group
Among the rows of vibrators, rubber torsos and leather harnesses at a Chinese sex toys exhibition in Shanghai this weekend, the beginnings of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven shift in the industry quietly pulsed. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world’s sex toys, most of it the “hardware” on display at the fair — whether that be technicolor tentacled dildos or hyper-realistic personalized silicone dolls. Yet smart toys have been rising in popularity for some time. Many major European and US brands already offer tech-enhanced products that can enable long-distance love, monitor well-being and even bring people one step closer to
RECORD-BREAKING: TSMC’s net profit last quarter beat market expectations by expanding 8.9% and it was the best first-quarter profit in the chipmaker’s history Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), which counts Nvidia Corp as a key customer, yesterday said that artificial intelligence (AI) server chip revenue is set to more than double this year from last year amid rising demand. The chipmaker expects the growth momentum to continue in the next five years with an annual compound growth rate of 50 percent, TSMC chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家) told investors yesterday. By 2028, AI chips’ contribution to revenue would climb to about 20 percent from a percentage in the low teens, Wei said. “Almost all the AI innovators are working with TSMC to address the
Malaysia’s leader yesterday announced plans to build a massive semiconductor design park, aiming to boost the Southeast Asian nation’s role in the global chip industry. A prominent player in the semiconductor industry for decades, Malaysia accounts for an estimated 13 percent of global back-end manufacturing, according to German tech giant Bosch. Now it wants to go beyond production and emerge as a chip design powerhouse too, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. “I am pleased to announce the largest IC (integrated circuit) Design Park in Southeast Asia, that will house world-class anchor tenants and collaborate with global companies such as Arm [Holdings PLC],”