Just how many Microsofts there will be in the world is unlikely to
be clear for some time. But one thing is certain - that the main
counterpoise to whatever emerges from the current anti-trust action
is the online media giant AOL
AOL's rise as the leading Internet company has been marked by
several massive takeovers, culminating in its purchase of
Time-Warner at the beginning of this year. But even more symbolic
was its acquisition of the very first new economy company,
Netscape, in 1998.
Following this, many expected AOL to challenge Microsoft for
supremacy in the online world. But AOL almost went out of its way
to back Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser against its own
Netscape Navigator product. It seemed almost as if AOL had conceded
Microsoft's victory in this area.
But recent moves indicate that AOL was simply preparing its
attack. On 5 April 2000, it announced "a groundbreaking family of
specialized Internet appliances... that will deliver AOL's content,
features and services to consumers in every room of their
homes."
These new devices are a countertop appliance, wireless Web pad
and desktop appliance, "small, lightweight tools for accessing the
Internet in a variety of ways during the course of a consumer's
daily life." In other words, they are attempts to move beyond the
traditional PC market.
Just as important was an equally innovative move beyond
traditional PC technologies.
These devices would not only be running the free operating
system GNU/Linux, but also be using revolutionary chips from the
start-up company Transmeta.
Transmeta is perhaps best-known as the employer of Linus
Torvalds, the creator of Linux. But since the launch of its Crusoe
chips, Transmeta is beginning to emerge as a serious rival to the
other member of the Wintel duopoly, Intel, in the area of mobile
and low-power devices.
And this is the real importance of the AOL appliances. They
represent a direct assault on the status quo in every way: form,
factor, operating system and processor. They also represent a
wake-up call to everyone engaged in e-business. No longer can it be
assumed that the vast majority of visitors to Web sites are using
PCs running Windows, which sit on desks in an office or home study.
If the Net appliance idea takes off - and no company is better
placed than AOL to make that happen - then we are witnessing
nothing less than the start of the post-PC era, with all that this
entails for Web-site design and services.