Intel chugs into MP3, consumer space

When is a product not a product?

By Mike Magee • Get more from this author

Posted in Business, 10th January 2001 13:45 GMT

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Venerable organ The Wall Street Journal, is reporting that Intel's CEO Craig Barrett will show off a portable MP3 player at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show this Friday.

At the same time, he is also likely to flourish Intel's ChatPad and WebTablet, products that will allow people to smurf the web and exchange messages, likely to be introduced later this year, reports the WSJ.

These devices will avoid Intel's usual channels for its products and instead will be sold through electronics shops in the US. Nor is it clear when or whether Intel will migrate the products out of the home US market.

Intel hopes to sell more mainstream microprocessors because all three devices will connect to PCs.

The WebPad started life as "just an idea" (see links below), but was dreamed up in Intel's Architecture Labs, a division of the chip giant which "dreams up ideas" some of which make it to manufacture and some which don't.

The latest announcements are part of Intel's long term strategy to diversify its business, although its core business of microprocessors still fuels the engine that keeps the gravy train rolling. ®