Devoted to hardware, software, IT issues, and information technology management

By YC from the Technocrat Soapbox,
Guest Blogger

As the Consumer Electronic Show (CES 2006) in Las Vegas draws near (January 5 - 8, 2006), speculations about who's doing what is rife in the "Soap-Opera dramatic" IT Industry.

Most of us already know that INTEL is going to unveil a new corporate image (new logo and the "Leap Ahead" tag line) at CES 2006, as well as its new CPU portfolio. Microsoft, on the other hand, is going to lauch the Water-Cooled version of its popular XBOX 360.

What is still under intense speculation is what Google, now a tour-de-force compared to several years ago, is going to do.

The L.A. Times speculates that Google is most probably going to launch a low-cost PC or gadget that can allow one to surf the Internet.

Sources close to the L.A. Times state that Google has been in talks with major retailers (Walmart included) to sell a low-cost Google PC. Google is said to be developing its own Operating System for the PC. What is still unclear is whether Google will be manufacturing the low-cost PC through Contract Manufacturers (like the Google Search Appliance) or if the company will go into a partnership with a PC Company (e.g. HP, AMD, DELL).

If the rumours are true, and the Google PC eventually becomes popular, then I'm afraid Microsoft has more than the 'Search Engine War' to worry about. With all things being equal (e.g. processing speed, user-friendliness, usability, tech support, software availability, and price), this is the way Google is going to move into the home. And with its own OS, Google dictates what goes into its boxes, just like how Microsoft is controlling what goes in and out of Windows. Of course, I don't think Google is going to let any Microsoft Software into the Google PC. Not that anyone who buys a Google PC is expecting to see Microsoft Windows in the first place. The whole point is to create an alternative for the consumers which does not need the expnesive, buggy, and unsecure Microsoft Software.

Some analysts might say that the Google PC will suffer the same fate as Transmeta, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. CES is still 2 days away and we still don't know for sure if that low-cost PC is in Google's long-term strategy. But say if Google does come up with a low-cost PC, I think it will go far. At present, Google already has a larger following than Transmeta at its peak, which was not something enviable by any stretch of the imagination. And besides, who doesn't want to use a product from a company whose motto is "Don't be evil."

Read: L.A. Times Predictions for 2006