Microsoft Corp chief executive Bill Gates yesterday previewed the Venus operating system, developed in the company’s Beijing research lab, at a ceremony in Shenzhen. The system will allow Chinese electronics firms to combine a web browser, low-end personal computer and video compact disc player in a single set- top box. Our goal is a very aggressive goal, and that is to introduce millions and millions of people to computers and to the internet, he said.
Venus is based on a fully localized version of Windows CE, and other Microsoft technologies such as Internet Explorer, WebTV and the pocket versions of Word and Excel. It is aimed at bringing internet access and basic PC functions to Chinese consumers at around one-fifth of the cost of a PC-based system. Estimates put prices below $200, compared with the equivalent of $1,225 for a typical PC. There are around 320 million television sets in China, and 40 million VCD players, according to official figures. All devices will connect to a standard TV monitor and use PC-like input devices. Gates called the VCD a phenomenal product in China. He demonstrated paired-down word processor, drawing and money management applications running on the system, claiming performance comparable to standard PCs.
Eight companies immediately announced support for the technology. They included BBK Electronics Co Ltd, China’s biggest VCD manufacturing firm, as well as Acer Inc, ESS Technology Inc, Haier Group Co, Integrated Technology Express Inc, Legend Group Co, Philips Consumer Electronics and Stone JinBin Co. The manufacturers will announce pricing and feature sets for devices at the time of the launch, expected in the second half of calendar year 1999.
Santa Clara, California-based set-top box component maker IGS Technologies Inc said that the Microsoft Venus development team had used its CyberPro2010 and CyberPro5000 multimedia processors in the prototype devices shown at the preview. Acer and Integrated Technology Express will also use the chip in their future devices.
