Cover Story
Turmoil Surrounding Compact PCs—What’s Required to Stay in the Game
Pandora’s Box Is Opened
Holes are beginning to appear in the PC industry’s argument that only computer fanatics are interested in compact, lightweight computers.The reason? Taiwan’s ASUSTek Computer Inc.’s Eee PC that went on sale in October 2007 for US$399.Sales of the Eee PC since its launch have been strong and five million units are expected to be shipped in 2008 alone.Annual sales of compact and lightweight PCs would previously top out in the tens of thousands. You might be misreading the market if you believe this is a momentary phenomenon.
Product Strategy
Safety and Planning Ability Surpass Performance as Criteria for Success Cheap, compact and lightweight PCs are taking the market by storm. Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. and Taiwanese makers are helping along that trend having cast aside their fear of competing on unit cost.The situation, however, casts doubt over the dominance of Wintel environments. Manufacturers are focused on product planning and components as they engage in competition to come up with even better “windows” to the Internet that appeal to private users around the globe.
New Technologies
x86 Processor Technology and Infrastructure for Mobile Applications Progressing
The extent to which mobile devices perform as “windows” to the Internet will be determined by technological innovation.Three technologies that have emerged so far will have a major impact on development of such products as compact, lightweight PCs.They are Intel Corp.’s new mobile processor, NEC Corp.’s thin client technology, which is suitable for mobile broadband applications, and Google Inc.’s web-based application infrastructure.
Special Feature
Fourth Wave of European Environmental Regulations (EuP Directive) Is onIts Way
Going on the Offensive With LCA Enforcement of the EuP (Energy-Using Products) Directive, the fourth European directive on the environment, following the RoHS Directive, WEEE Directive and REACH Regulation, is in its initial stages and there is little time to lose. Despite apprehension about the focus of the regulations, manufacturers quick off the mark are making the most of the latest directive, pursuing greater use of environmental design as a way to outdo rivals in environmental considerations. Lifecycle assessments (LCA) are spreading throughout the supply chain for use in quantitative evaluations of the environmental impact of products.
Commercialization of Organic Solar Cells Begins—Remarkable Progress Made in Terms of Efficiency and Durability
Toward 200 MW/Year Output—On Par With Crystalline Silicon New solar cell technologies emerge all the time, but particularly noteworthy is the progress of solar cells made with organic materials. Organic solar cells, spotlighted because of their color flexibility and low-cost potential, are finally being mass-produced. Organic solar cells have also recently closed the gap with existing solar cell technologies in terms of efficiency and durability. Sony Corp. and other manufacturers of home electronics and office equipment that are interested in the scope of application are also now competing to develop organic solar cells.
Guest Paper
Developing Display Screens with Oxidized TFT—Strong Contender for Organic EL TV Screens
Amorphous oxide semiconductors, composed of indium (In), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn) and oxygen (O), are attracting attention for their potential application in thin film transistors (TFT) for large-screen televisions with greater resolution than full HD televisions.This is because they demonstrate higher carrier mobility than amorphous silicon TFTs and lower variation in characteristics compared to low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFTs.These semiconductors can also be manufactured at comparatively low temperatures and boast properties such as being transparent under visible light, potentially leading to brand new applications.This paper introduces research findings of the Samsung Group, which is actively considering application of these semiconductors to organic electroluminescent (EL) televisions.
Documentary
From the Front Lines of Development: Korg’s Dynamic Phrase Synthesizer “Kaossilator”
Conceiving a New Musical Instrument Packed With Ideas From the User
Tutorial
Decay Analysis of Red/Infrared Light Emitting Device (Final):
The Mechanism Behind “Sudden Death” and How Device Users Can Combat the Problem
A major issue for red/infrared light-emitting diodes (LED) is “sudden death,” which is the sudden failure of an otherwise healthy light-emitting device.Sudden death can create unexpected equipment faults.The final installment in this series explains the sudden death mechanism and methods of prevention.
High-speed Transmission Related Design and Evaluation (Part 4): Increased Jitter and Noise that Accompanies Greater Speed—Stochastic Wave Evaluation Becomes Indispensable
Signal waveform measurements called eye patterns are often used when designing high-speed transmission lines. Close observation of even favorable-looking eye patterns can reveal jitter and noise. Transmission lines of higher speed amplify jitter and noise effects. The fourth installment in this series introduces methods for evaluating jitter and noise.
Keyword
LTE (Long Term Evolution)
Key Person
TokyoUniversity of Science Associate Professor Tsutomu Iida: “Utilizing Waste Heat to Achieve the Ultimate in Environmental Friendliness”
NE Interview
Sharp President and COO Mikio Katayama: “We Need to Endure a Little Longer Before We Can Realize the New Sharp”
Sharp Corp. made extensive organizational changes this April, one year after Mikio Katayama’s appointment to president.Central to the reforms is the bolstering of the company’s research and development framework.This involved establishing the Corporate Research and Development Group, which will serve as a central research facility.We can glimpse how Katayama’s own personal experience working as an engineer helped shape the reforms.
World Report
From USA: Selecting Steve Jobs’ Successor Is Apple’s Greatest Concern
News
- Sony Develops Active Fuel Cell Prototype for Portable Devices
- Brother Develops Small Retinal Scanning Display Unit
- IBM Develops Ultra High Density Magnetic Memory
- TV Manufacturers’ Attempts to Survive by Focusing on Competitive Niche Markets
- Impending Commencement of “Dubbing 10” Broadcasts Hits Trouble
