MicroWorkz.com, the company that stole the show in the closing minutes of Microsoft’s antitrust trial last week, has confirmed it is not in acquisition talks with anyone. The spokesperson did confirm that the company is in talks with several potential partners regarding its new iToaster device. In court, Microsoft claimed the firm had been acquired by AOL and that the ISP would be using MicroWorkz iToaster to build an AOL PC, posing a threat to the Windows operating system. Microsoft has since denied this statement.
The $200 iToaster is a instant on instant off computing device which consumers can use to shop online, surf the web, or send and receive email using a non-Windows based proprietary operating system. Microsoft’s famously stringent licensing standards prevented MicroWorkz from creating the customized computer desktop it wanted, with about a dozen button-like icons leading to the internet, built-in applications and sites run by partners like Amazon.com, eBay and RealNetworks. I don’t think Microsoft is very happy we’re doing this, Latman said. I don’t care. The bottom line is this is good for the consumer. This addresses a void in the computer market. Analysts are unconvinced, wondering whether a $199 non-Windows computer will find a market in a world where Windows machines are available for just a bit more at retail stores or for free through advertiser-supported promotions.
The iToaster, which will ship beginning July 1, includes an Intel Pentium II 266-MHz processor, 2.1 gigabyte hard drive and 32 megabytes of memory. There are no slots for diskettes or CD- ROMs in the sealed black box, although external drives can be added. A matching monitor is $139 extra. The company has plans for additional low-price computers including laptop and handheld models.
