AMD developed the Personal Internet Communicator (PIC) reference design as part of its "50x15 Initiative," which aims to equip 50 percent of the world's population with affordable Internet access and computing capability by the year 2015. It runs a "customized" version of Windows CE, and includes a minimal set of applications.
(Click here for larger image of PIC reference design)When the PIC reference design
debuted in the fall of 2004, AMD touted a target end-user device price point of $185, including a keyboard, mouse, and preinstalled software for basic personal computing and internet/email access; for $249, a monitor would be included. To meet such aggressive price targets, the PIC is designed for minimal cost, much like a consumer audio/video appliance. It is not internally expandable, and includes a minimum set of interfaces, according to AMD.
The PIC is meant to be a compact, low-cost "consumer appliance"
Key hardware target specs, according to AMD, include:
- Processor subsystem -- AMD Geode GX processor, with CS5535 companion device
- Memory -- 128 MB DDR SDRAM
- Hard drive -- internal 10 GB 3.5-inch drive
- Display interface -- VGA 1600 x 1200 resolution, at 85 Hz
- LAN interface -- 10/100 Mbps Ethernet
- Four USB 1.1 ports (2 front, 2 rear)
- Modem -- internal 56 Kbps ITU v.92 Fax/Modem
- Sound -- AC'97 audio with stereo in/out jacks
- Size -- 8.5 x 5.5 x 2.5 inches
- Weight -- approx. 3 pounds
In addition to the customized Windows CE embedded operating system, the PIC includes a minimal set of applications, including a browser, email client, productivity tools (word processing and spreadsheet), and the ability to view images, multimedia files, and standard format documents (PDF, PPT, etc.).
The PIC is in production by several AMD partners worldwide, including FIC, i-Khuluma, MaX, and Minicom. The device is currently available in Brazil, various Carribean islands, India, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, and the U.S., according to AMD's website.
In the U.S., the product is listed on Radio Shack's website as being "available at most [of its] stores," priced at just under $300, which includes a keyboard, mouse, AC adapter, and user's guide, but not a monitor. A quick check with a local Radio Shack store (Palo Alto, Calif.) as of the publication of this article, however, produced this response: "We do not have it, and as far as I can see on my system, none of the stores have it."
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