WindowsForDevices reports that AMD is shipping an extremely low-cost PC that it hopes will help the personal computer achieve 50 percent market penetration worldwide by 2015. The $185 Personal Internet Computer (PIC) ($249 with a monitor) runs Windows CE, but looks capable of running Linux.

(Click for larger view of the PIC)

The non-hardware-upgradable PIC is based on a 366MHz Geode processor (the “[email protected]” model — click here for an explanation of AMD's chip-naming scheme, which describes speed and power relative to Via C3 chips). AMD's x86-based Geode chips are well-supported under Linux.

The PIC sells for $245, with monitor. Does Walmart know about this?

The PIC also includes a 10GB hard drive and 128MB of RAM. I/O includes four USB ports, AC97 audio, and VGA out.

One area that might be a sticking point for Linux — the PIC includes a “56Kbps ITU v.92 Fax/Modem,” according to WindowsForDevices.com. Many software modems — sometimes called “Win-modems” — only work with proprietary Windows software.

AMD has long taken an interest in computers for the developing world. In December of 2003, it partnered with Chinese chip maker BLX on a design facility dedicated to producing extremely low-cost thin clients and mobile systems based on embedded Linux.

For more details and pictures, be sure to read about the PIC at WindowsForDevices.com.

Read about the PIC at WindowsForDevices.com.

 
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