| AMD's PIC gets Shockwave multimedia support |
May 01, 2006
 Bsquare says it has ported Adobe's Macromedia Shockwave Player to Windows CE, for use on the AMD Personal Internet Communicator (PIC) reference design. Shockwave is a "web standard" for multimedia playback, with an installed base of over 200 million users, according to Bsquare.
(Click for larger photo of PIC prototype)
About the PIC
Initially announced in October 2004, the PIC is part of AMD's "50x15 Initiative," which, according to AMD, aims to equip 50 percent of the world's population with affordable Internet access and computing capability by the year 2015. If successful, AMD's global PIC initiative could therefore prove to be one of the highest volume design-wins for Windows CE.
The PIC is meant to be a compact, low-cost "consumer appliance"
When AMD's PIC reference design debuted in the fall of 2004, it 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, AMD says. It is not internally expandable, and includes a minimum set of interfaces.
Key hardware target specs, according to AMD, include: - Processor subsystem -- AMD Geode GX processor, with CS5535 companion device
- Memory -- 128MB 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 56Kbps 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 a customized Windows CE embedded operating system, the device 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.), according to AMD.
According to AMD's website, the PIC has gone into production at several global manufacturing facilities -- including FIC, i-Khuluma, MaX, and Minicom -- and is available in Brazil, various Carribean islands, India, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, and the U.S.
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.), 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."
Bsquare's port of Shockwave to Windows CE
Bsquare says its port of Shockwave to Windows CE on the PIC represents the first port of Adobe's Macromedia Shockwave Player to any embedded computing device. A company spokesperson said that Bsquare has no plans to sell "embedded Shockwave" licenses, unlike both California Software Company (Calsoft) and Vibren Technologies, which have entered into arrangements with Adobe to license Macromedia Flash Player to OEM customers in the embedded market. (Macromedia was recently acquired by Adobe.)
Carey Butler, VP of Professional Engineering Services for Bsquare noted, "Adobe's move to port Shockwave to PIC devices is an important indicator of the trend we see unfolding among solution providers. Now that platforms -- like the PIC -- have the computing horsepower and memory to support larger applications, we can port larger and larger footprint applications, giving embedded device users access to an even wider variety of content."
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