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Since Visual Computing was introduced at Fall Comdex in 1996, Intel has
made significant contributions to this important PC industry initiative,
including the technical information, platform building blocks and
development tools now needed to make the Visual Connected PC a
reality at mainstream price points.
Emergence of the Visual Connected PC
Visual Computing is the next step in the evolution of the Intel
architecture PC platform. In essence, Visual Computing describes the
ability of the PC to deliver more life-like and interactive visual
experiences to the user. These benefits are made possible by advances
in processor and platform performance that build on the Connected PC to
support improved PC imaging, high-performance 3D Graphics, and video
processing. As shown in the illustration below, every major step in the
evolution of the PC platform has enabled a major shift in the PC usage
model, and the Visual Connected PC is no exception.
New PC technologies typically enter the market at the top end.
Subsequent design and production improvements then rapidly improve
price-performance and help the new technology achieve mass market
acceptance.
The Visual Connected PC is now poised to enter mainstream PC
markets. For years, such capabilities as digital imaging, 3D graphics,
video processing and video communications have been possible on
high-end PCs and workstations. Advances including the Pentium® II processor with MMX™
technology, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and Accelerated Graphics
Port (AGP) are now rapidly improving the price-performance picture
for Visual Computing.
Visual Computing Benefits Business and Consumers
The availability of technology at effective prices doesn't necessarily
guarantee market acceptance. What will make the user community and specifiers
demand visual computing capability?
The Internet has already begun to change the competitive landscape for business
from competing for customers locally to competing for customers globally. Most
businesses are marketing on the web directly to customers, and many are already
closing sales on the web half way around the world. Much of the electronic
commerce already taking place is business to business and most of these electronic
transactions occur without the aid of human support. At Intel we call it "screen
to screen" communications. Whether it's employees within a company looking up
information on an Intranet site, or sending e-mail to one of your vendors, or
consumers browsing your web site for product information, or even placing a call
using internet telephony, it's transacted from one computer to another over the
internet - "screen to screen". Sometimes there's another human on the other side
looking at the screen (or looking at you in a video conferencing window) assisting
your transaction and sometimes it's just you, your computer, and the computer on
the other side of the line. Visual connected PC technology will enhance the
"screen to screen" process improving business productivity and increasing the
trend towards E-commerce.
Visual computing will make the consumer to computer interaction, and in-turn
the consumer to business interaction, easy by way of realistic visual images
that make the PC interface friendlier and more intuitive. The visual connected
PC will allow consumers to browse through realistic visual images of items they
wish to purchase: cars, houses, even everyday household items will appear as 3D
images instead of text-based descriptions on a web site. Consumers will be able
to take virtual 3D tours of theaters or sporting event locations prior to
purchasing tickets online. A new and emerging class of visual business
applications called Content Managers will arrive that go beyond today's
browsers. Content managers will aggregate content and applications together
and customize it for certain user groups or even individuals, enhancing the
screen to screen process. We will see many new Internet-based applications
like Content Managers that make E-commerce easier by way of visual computing
technologies.
Not only will the consumer's shopping experience be changed, but personal
creativity, communications, and entertainment will evolve as well. Creative
content authoring is becoming commonplace as digital cameras improve in price
and quality. The Internet takes it a step further making it easier to
communicate your creative content to associates, friends, and relatives.
With the internet and the visual connected PC, sending photos and videos,
and discussing them using PC telephony and video conferencing will be easy
and cost effective. Entertainment will see vast improvements made possible by
the visual connected PC. The Pentium II processor coupled with AGP is making
arcade quality games possible on the mainstream PC, and interactive digital
television by way of the visual connected PC is just around the corner.
As a whole, visual computing will provide easier access to information and
people anywhere in the world increasing the value of the PC as a productivity,
communications, creativity, and entertainment device.
Making the Visual Connected PC a Reality
Each aspect of Visual Computing makes unique demands across the
PC platform. In the first half of 1997, Intel has focused on
microprocessor performance, and then delivered the additional
building blocks needed to balance system capabilities and reduce
performance bottlenecks.
Fast Processor Performance:
With the introduction of the Pentium
processor with MMX technology,
enhanced media and communications processing capability is now
available on the mainstream PC.
In June of 1997 Intel increased the available speed of the Pentium
processor to 233MHz. By the end of 1997, all Intel architecture PCs will
feature MMX technology.
In May Intel introduced the next generation in Intel processor
performance with the Pentium II processor. The Pentium II processor
adds advanced features such as dynamic execution and Dual
Independent Bus to the media and communications processing capabilities of MMX
technology. With speeds up to 300 MHz, this is today's most capable
engine for Visual Computing, and Intel plans further performance
improvements in 1998.
System Bandwidth & Fast Memory:
The Pentium II processor has also improved system to memory
bandwidth with new Dual Independent Bus (DIB) architecture.
DIB separates the processor's L2 cache bus from the system bus to
achieve up to three times the performance bandwidth of the single-bus
Pentium processor. The result is faster system performance for
memory-intensive PC imaging, 3D graphics and video processing
applications.
Intel is also working with memory vendors to keep up with the performance
of faster processors and bus architectures. In mid to late 1998, the industry
will see a transition from 66MHz to 100MHz SDRAM to complement new, faster
Pentium II processors. Intel is also working on direct RDRAM to further
enhance system memory bandwidth into 1999.
Graphics Acceleration:
Graphics acceleration further enables Visual Computing by reducing PCI
bus bottlenecks. Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) provides a separate
bus for graphics accelerators that improves throughput, system
concurrency and memory utilization.
Intel recently announced the industry's first AGP chip set, the
440LX
AGPset. Intel has also worked with graphics vendors to make AGP-based graphics
accelerators available to complement the chip set.
AGP delivers 533 MB/s peak bandwidth in 2X mode, compared to 133 MB/s peak
bandwidth on the PCI bus. Intel is currently at work on an even higher performing
4X mode to be available in 1999, capable of a peak bandwidth of 1GB/s.
Overall, Intel currently anticipates that the Pentium II processor and AGP will
enable a 10x improvement in 3D graphics performance over the next 3 years.
Video Performance:
DVD has the ability to deliver very high quality, visually rich, interactive
images, as well as high quality audio to the PC. Intel has worked with the
DVD consortium to enable copy protection algorithms and
MPEG2/AC-3 processing on the PC platform. Intel has also created a
DVD Authoring Lab in Hillsboro, Oregon to support continuing
development of interactive DVD titles.
Hardware-assisted DVD is now available on high-end PCs. By 1998,
PCs will take advantage of the Pentium II processor to perform
descrambling, video and audio decoding functions in software,
bringing DVD capability to mainstream price points.
High Performance I/O & Peripherals:
Fully functional USB ports are now available on all currently shipping
PCs allowing new low-cost digital cameras to easily plug into the PC.
Intel has also developed a Portable PC Camera '98 Design Guideline
to ease development of these cameras.
Taking these capabilities to the next level, Intel is now working to bring
IEEE 1394 ports to the PC. This will make it possible to connect
even higher performance peripherals like video camcorders and other
consumer electronics devices.
Higher-Level Platforms for Home and Business
To speed time to market of these technologies Intel is developing higher level building
blocks for Visual Connected PC platform
implementations. In 1997 Intel introduced initiatives and products for
PC Theaters for interactive digital entertainment in the family room.
Creativity PCs targeted at PC Imaging and digital content creation,
and the Network PCs (Net PCs) to bring screen-to-screen capabilities
and improved manageability to the business desktop.
Intel has also brought Visual Computing to the Mobile PC platform with the introduction of
the Pentium processor with MMX technology and chip sets
supporting USB connections for notebook computers.
Enabling the Industry
Intel is working throughout the PC industry to enable millions of PC
users to enjoy the benefits of the Visual Connected PC.
- Intel is working with industry partners through implementers
forums to develop and refine baseline specifications for important initiatives
including USB, AGP, DVD, IEEE 1394 and Open Arcade Architecture.
- Intel is also helping developers move "Beyond the Spec" by sharing
detailed information resources and access to Intel architects through
the new Intel
Developer Forum series (see the top story on the Intel Developer Forum in this
issue
of Platform Solutions).
- Intel is also working with the software industry to enable new Visual Computing applications on the Intel architecture PC platform.
On an ongoing basis, Intel has the goal of providing providesing developers with design guides,
tools and products they need to that help make Visual Computing a reality on
mainstream PCs. Very soon all PC users will enjoy the benefits of interactive,
life-like visual experiences.
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