Falling PC sales across the world are clearly indicative of a major trend: users have become tired of the continual chase by PC manufacturers for 'faster' PCs, and want greater value for money, including the ability to upgrade their PCs instead of having to continually replace them.
"As it is, research shows that some 95% of most PC users do not need high performance PCs," says Tim Handley, VIA Technologies' southern African marketing manager, who believes that most high-end PCs are being purchased by high-performance enthusiasts, 3D gamers, and businesses that require and can afford the latest and greatest systems.
"Many businesses still believe that the latest processor will improve their companies' performance substantially," he says. "While I am not contesting this belief outright, I think there are better ways to spend corporate IT budgets to improve performance than upgrading normal use computers to the very latest, high-end multiGHz systems. This includes, for example, installing wireless LANs."
Exploited?
Handley maintains that there is a growing feeling - by normal PC users - that they are being exploited by large, international IT companies. He asserts that a number of these PC companies have been known to design their new products around totally new platforms, part of a strategy that forces customers to buy totally new systems instead of simply and affordably upgrading their old systems.
"Modern IT companies, like VIA, are therefore countering by creating standard, upgradeable platforms that promote more affordable connectivity to the Internet." Above all, adds Handley, consumers have started to realise that speed is no longer the primary concern when buying a PC.
"A few years ago, if you were to upgrade from a 286 system to a 386 system, there was a visible and valuable increase in performance after the upgrade," he says. "These days, the speed of most systems is determined more by the speed of the Internet connection than by the system itself. Average systems ranging between 500 MHz and 1 GHz have ample computing power to handle productivity applications and Internet connectivity.
"As PC users become more educated and are beginning to buy what they need and not what they are told they need," he adds. "In line with these trends, VIA's vision is one of 'total connectivity', which de-emphasises the need for speed in the average PC. We believe, for example, that a 500 MHz processor has ample processing power to do most office and home PC tasks, and costs less that 5% of the cost of the latest 2 GHz processor."
Handley observes that the difference in performance between the two for normal productivity applications and web surfing is negligible. Asked how vendors are going to continue making PCs a compelling buying proposition, Handley said the solution is 'quite simple'.
"We need to provide a range of environmentally friendly, modern and affordable systems that perform according to the users' expectations, are easily and affordably upgradeable and are both useful and easy to operate," he explains.
"We can do this by eliminating all those little costly extras in PCs that most people never use and in so doing, reduce the size, power consumption and cost of the whole system and above all, make the system more stable and easy to operate."
For further information, contact Tim Handley, VIA Technologies, timhandley@via.com.tw
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