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For less than the cost of a mid-range mobile phone, the Nettop ng Bayan 2.0 has an Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 80GB hard disk, and LCD monitor.
MANILA, Philippines – A low-cost desktop PC which retails for only P10,800 in its basic configuration without an operating system and optical media drive or any software has been re-introduced to the local market recently.
For less than the cost of a mid-range mobile phone, the PC called the Nettop ng Bayan 2.0 has an Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 80GB hard disk, and LCD monitor.
First introduced in June last year by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) and Intel, the affordable PC has undergone a slight makeover.
When it was first introduced last year, the Nettop had an Intel Celeron 1.2 GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 80GB hard disk drive, and CRT monitor and was sold for slightly less at P10,000 but also without an operating system or software.
The shift to the Intel Atom processor, which is specifically made for mobile devices, is one of the key technology changes in the new Nettop as it was purposely built for low-power consumption.
Intel Philippines country manager Ricardo Banaag says they are more than happy with the results of last year’s campaign for the low-cost computer that they decided to re-launch it this year with more updated configurations. There are also more participating dealers for the Nettop now to make the product available in more areas nationwide.
“We feel that it is a very important step in increasing the rate of PC adoption in the Philippines,” Banaag says.
The program proponents, however, did not disclose details on how many units were sold for the first version of the Nettop and how many units they expect to sell this year.
Banaag simply says they see the Nettop being useful to first-time buyers for education purposes — mainly for Web browsing, e-mail and research of students, and for small offices and households which have yet to be connected to the Internet. However, even mature buyers may see it as an option as a second PC at home.
The Intel chief, however, says that for the best multimedia experience and if one needs a device for content creation such as photo editing, Web design and video editing, it is still best to get a mainstream desktop PC.
“But if you are basically looking for a device that can provide an enjoyable Internet experience and is more on what we would term as content consumption such as downloading, viewing videos, research and visiting social networking sites, then an Atom-powered Nettop would be the best type for that usage,” he says.
There is a purpose served for the CICT and Intel’s Nettop, which is to make the personal computer more affordable to more people who need them.
“The mobile phone is the runaway success story in the Philippines with 68 million subscribers out of a population of 90 million at the end of 2008,” says CICT Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III. “However, in the area of computing and Internet penetration we are among the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region.”
“The first version last year brought down the price of the PC to almost like a cellphone,” says Chua. “We want to make PCs affordable to whoever wants to be connected to the Internet.”
The Nettop ng Bayan 2.0 being offered by 26 dealers across the country now doesn’t have a single form factor but rather it is up to the dealers to develop a package and to offer value add-ons such as an operating system and software but the basic configuration remains for all Nettops.
The CICT and Intel also leave it to the dealers to bundle the Nettop with an Internet connection with a telecom provider available in their specific areas nationwide.
“Our goal is to get the PC at an affordable price, that is why we allow the procurement process to drive the price down. We don’t want to favor particular platforms so we let the market compete and offer the most cost-effective model,” says Chua.
Promoting the Nettop ng Bayan 2.0 is also part of CICT’s Convergence 2009 roadshow nationwide, which kicked off in Sta. Rosa, Laguna last July 10-11 and will end on Nov. 27-28 in Iloilo City. Other areas to be covered by roadshow include the cities of Davao, Lipa, Cebu, Bacolod, Malolos and Cagayan de Oro, and Clark in Pampanga.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=490351&publicationSubCategoryId=71
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