Intel praises PC sector

April 4, 2001: 4:13 p.m. ET

Chipmaker's exec offers a different perspective on the future of computing
By Staff Writer Richard Richtmyer

CHICAGO (CNNfn) - At a technology conference where alternative Internet access devices and wireless gadgets and gizmos have taken center stage, Sean Maloney, executive vice president at Intel, offered a different perspective on the future of computing.

"I am not here to bury the PC, but to praise it," Maloney quipped during a keynote presentation at the Comdex convention and trade show taking place here.

Intel (INTC: Research, Estimates) is the world's largest supplier of microprocessors for personal computers and it has been locking in on the market for chips used in other devices, such as handheld computers and a range of communications devices.

During his presentation, which was complete with a laser light show and featured a cameo appearance by Oscar-nominated actor Morgan Freeman, Maloney espoused the PC as the center of the Internet universe in the future.

That's a vision that stands in contrast with another chip industry executive who addressed the show on Tuesday. Brian Halla, chairman and chief executive of National Semiconductor, spent most of his time on the keynote stage talking about life "beyond the PC," where so-called "information appliances" become the devices of choice.

National Semi, which has been heralding the coming of an information appliance revolution for about four years, had several such devices, which are built around its "Geode" brand microprocessor, on display on the show floor.

Maloney, on the other hand, said one of the ways to make the Internet more efficient in the future, especially with the vast amounts of data piling up on the Internet, is to in effect make each PC a server. That concept, called peer-to-peer, or distributed computing, is what makes the controversial Napster music-sharing service work.

Under the peer-to-peer model, data stored on each connected users' PC is available to others. By stringing the PCs together, companies can lower their total networking costs because they won't have to build as much network capacity if the data is distributed through a number of PCs instead of being accessible only through a single point.

Instead of an age where the PC is replaced by other devices, Maloney said he sees the computing world moving more toward one where other devices enhance the PC, which he demonstrated using handheld devices such as Compaq's iPAQ PocketPC.

He also demonstrated a range of the latest PC-related technology using Intel's new Pentium 4 microprocessor, including games, digital imaging, and audio, which have become increasingly popular.