Dell Computer Corp is said to be in talks with Microsoft Corp about customizing the boot up screen on new personal computers. Dell chief executive Michael Dell told reporters at the PC Expo show in New York that the pair were in talks, but further details have not been divulged. However, it could be that Dell is going to follow the example Packard Bell-NEC set last week when it announced it will use new technology from Seattle-based start-up, Pixel Co, that enables users to sidestep the Windows desktop (CI No 3,428). Pixel Co’s My Space product looks just like a tool bar, similar to those found within any application, that gives users access to applications, internet pages, peripheral hardware devices and so on, outside the Windows desktop. The technology works by exploiting the pixels, the black, so-called ‘overscan’ area, around the edge of the PC screen, and sits on an operating system, developed by Pixel. Dell officials were unable to confirm this. Dell has also hit the headlines this week with news that it is going to plow its resources into the server and workstation markets, as PC prices continue to fall. It would appear that the Round Rock, Texas company does not want to stop generating the high revenues it has witnessed over the last few years with PCs, and has identified a new area in the market that will supply it with a new source of revenue. While Dell has no intention of turning its back on its PC business, it believes servers and workstations are going to prove much more lucrative in the future.
