Abstract

MIC Perspectives

Mouse and Keyboard Remain Essential Input Devices

Windows 8 offers a more user-friendly touchscreen UI, the most intuitive operating mode after being widely applied to mobile phones and tablets. However, since AIO PCs must be erect and users must keep a distance from the screen, touchscreens on AIO PCs are not as convenient as they on handheld devices. In addition, touchscreens are mainly used for photo sharing and entertainment purposes such as playing video games; traditional input devices such as mice and keyboards are still essential when doing word processing work.

With the cost of the projected capacitive technology remaining high at this moment, the price of a touchscreen device will be higher than a non-touchscreen counterpart by at least US$150 - US$200. Therefore, the price gap will influence consumers' willingness to purchase touchscreen AIO PCs. Other than touchscreens, hand gesture detection and voice control technologies - other interface technologies currently under development - are likely to become mainstream operating modes in the future as the costs will be mainly from system development, rather than on device hardware. Besides, it is anticipated that the chance of those technologies becoming the next mainstream input interfaces is out there as touchscreen requires users to stay close to the screen, thereby causing some inconvenience to them.

AIO PC Usability Put to Test

A glance of the Computex 2012 shows that vendors have been integrating creative applications in their products to achieve more product differentiation and enhance product value. For example, they have increased panel width, combined AIO PCs and tablets, and developed monitors bundled with Android systems. Despite the innovation, the added production costs and usability have whittled away the feasibility of these innovative applications on AIO PCs; meanwhile, the usability perceived by users towards innovative applications has yet to live up to users' expectations.

Thunderbolt Unlikely to Replace Other Standards in the Short Term

With strong promotion of their Thunderbolt technology and several vendors' display of related products at Computex 2012, Intel has shown great ambition to enhance Thunderbolt as the next-generation transmission standard. However, achieving the goal will be rather challenging. First of all, as Thunderbolt controller chips have yet to be integrated into Southbridge chips, the use of controller chips and peripheral components will increase production costs. Secondly, the connectors at both ends of a Thunderbolt cable must contain an IC, and the costs of internal wires would vary with the materials. Currently, a fiber optic cable costs more than US$20 and a cable only accommodates one device. Although some hard disk drive and storage device vendors have developed products supporting the technology, the number of such products is still a minority. As a whole, it is unlikely to see Thunderbolt replace USB3.0 or other buses in the near future.

Nevertheless, the replacement is likely to take place in the long term. With the popularization of compact design and small form factor devices such as ultrabooks, AIO PCs, and mini PCs, the importance of hardware scalability therefore becomes prominent. As Thunderbolt solves the scalability issue through external hardware connectivity while offering fast data transmission, the Thunderbolt technology will have a chance to replace other transmission standards only if the corresponding costs are reduced.