Why does Intel support Linux?

On Tuesday 13 January 2004 07:43, Bill Lindley wrote:
> Q: What's the relative market size for "embedded" chips (cars, toasters=
,
> machines of all sorts) versus Personal Computers?
> That Embedded market is ripe for Intel's expanded Linux support.
> \\/

     I forget the exact numbers but believe the embedded market is worth =
(to=20
the manufacturers of the hardware that is sold) approximate 10x the Perso=
nal=20
Computer market. This may sound like an astonishing multiplier but rememb=
er=20
that every Personal Computer actually contains several embedded computers=
=2E=20
There's one in the keyboard that scans the matrix of keys looking for=20
connected/disconnected changes and transmits a serial code down the cable=
 to=20
the system for every key-up and key-down. There's another one doing the=20
"accelleration" on the video card. And there's one on the network card=20
processing packets and handling collisions, backoff and retransmissions.=20
That's three preprogrammed embedded computers for almost every "PC" out=20
there. And engineers at Ford and at General Motors have both told me that=
 in=20
each of their high-end cars, there are over a hundred embedded computers =
and,=20
at the low-end (and at least five years ago), there were a minimum of two=
 in=20
every car they sell.
      But it's also important to note that your keyboard probably isn't=20
running Linux. Indeed, most embedded computers have no operating system a=
t=20
all, and those that do are predominantly run by "in house" operating syst=
ems=20
(which have typically evolved by happenstance into tangled messes). Most=20
embedded systems are of the PICmicro / AVR / 8085 / 6810 variety. When=20
looking at volume, which is where sellers make their money, the 8- and 16=
-bit=20
worlds of these machines predominate. It is true that the embedded market=
=20
segment for 32-bit machines is rapidly growing, and this is where Linux f=
its=20
in, it is probable that most embedded programming, most embedded machines=
,=20
and most of the profit in the embedded market will remain at the low end.
     Developers of embedded systems do seem to like it when they can go t=
o a=20
single vendor and have all their needs, from small to large, satisfied.=20
There's one salesman to deal with, one catalog to read, one "product line=
" to=20
keep in mind, and that's what Intel (and other vendors in this market) wa=
nt.=20
If Intel can cover the low- to the high-end with a minimum of seams,=20
customers will continue to buy their products as needs evolve. When an=20
engineer has to get a product out the door, using a "single source" vendo=
r=20
makes things a lot simpler.

--=20
Ed Skinner, ed@flat5.net, http://www.flat5.net/