The spokesman added that the initiative has been in the works since early this year.
"Technology is only as powerful as it is accessible," said Hector Ruiz, chairman, president, and chief executive of AMD, in a statement. With 50 by 15, we are creating a global ecosystem of partners to bring the benefits of technology and connectivity to parts of the world ignored by traditional technology solutions."
The PIC device is based on the company's Geode GX500 processor and runs under Microsoft Windows. It has basic computing and Internet capabilities including a browser, e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet, image viewing, and multimedia. The device is equipped with a 3.5 in. hard drive with a 10 GB capacity, a 128 MB DDRAM memory subsystem, and a 56K v.92 fax/modem.
AMD expects the device to branded, marketed, and sold by local service providers such as telecom companies and government-sponsored communications programs. Pricing to the consumer is determined by the service provider through various subscription and financing programs.
A typical system price point is $185 with a mouse, keyboard, and preinstalled software, or $249 with a monitor.
