First let me say I'm not on the inside track with Moorestown. I'm an outside observer with my own perspective on this product, but I have to say... I think this will be HUGE. Lot's of talk about the Moorestown platform at IDF this year and I've heard many refer to this as the iPhone killer, or next generation iPhone. The game changer is size, the processing power, and WiMax capabilities. This is much more than anything in the market now. It can be almost anything you want it to be, and what you want it to do might be more about what devices it talks to. Here's my personal speculation on potential uses for Moorestown.
Harmony Remote Killer: This one is easy. Unlike the iphone with this kind of device you should be able to add and download applications and be configure to do pretty much what you want it to do. It's the size of a remote. It has bluetooth and WiMax. It should be able to talk to all of your AV stuff and replace your most advanced universal remotes.
GameBoy/PSP Killer: This be will run on Intel’s next generation 45nm chips. It should far exceed anything any hand held game system can do today. You could host games on the fly with people near you or host over the Internet. I actually believe this could be an XBox Killer. It will have the horsepower, it will be ultimately connected. It just needs peripherals like a dock or wireless connectivity to a large display and keyboard. Drop it on your coffee table, turn on your wall mounted LCD, pick up a wireless controller and you are gaming.
Desktop Killer: Yes, a desktop killer. Again it should have the horsepower. It will have highspeed connections and a full blown browser. More and more apps are moving to the web. There's a lot of talk about the death of the application, as applications can be run in the browser. Drop it on your desk, have it detect and synch with your wireless keyboard, mouse and monitor and you are working. Also more IT shops are starting to see the value of OS and application streaming technology where you can pull down the apps you need when you need them. Edit a spreadsheet, crop a photo, do a CAD Design, all apps come from the network when you need them, wherever you are.
Storage may only an issue for the few things you need locally. With WiMax, songs, videos, applications could all be available at your finger tips whether you have them stored on your PC, DVR, or from a service provider. You could ultimately have any data or any application on a powerful mobile device on your hip, in your pocket or in your purse.
My perspective is Moorestown is shaping up to be the ubiquitous everything device. I discussed this idea 2 years ago with an Intel engineer, during a school fundraiser. I claimed if Intel could create the device the size of cell phone with the processing power of a PC, you would not need any other device other than peripherals. I was new, I was in marketing and he thought I was nuts. And he pretty much told me so, citing that he didn't see how Intel would profit from it. A couple of weeks later I saw him again and he was anxious to tell me he just saw a presentation that discussed exactly what I was talking about. I'd like to think this is Moorestown... and personally I can't wait!!
