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All the major manufacturer’s are missing a major market. Computer chips have grown tremendously in power over the past few years, and most software just doesn’t require that kind of power. Sure, games, CAD programs, etc, do, but not office suites, not the internet, not educational software. As a result, companies like Intel are trying to sell this extra power to people who can’t use it by creating more ways for one person to use more power. A smarter approach, and a more lucrative one, would be to try to find ways for more people to use a single computer simultaneously.

Think about this: A lot of the parts of a computer can be shared among multiple users. Internet connection, hard drive, processor, printer, scanner, and RAM can all be shared with ease. Matrox has found a great way to support 2 monitors in their Dual-Head technology, and a new 19″ monitor can be delivered to your door for under $400. A new 17″ could be yours for under $200. So now we have two monitors. Add to that a new mouse (USB, $20) and keyboard (USB, $40), and you have a second set of input devices. Now we’d need an OS that can distinguish between two mouse signals, but I’m sure Microsoft could patch Win 98 in under a week to support it. So now we can do some preliminary multi-using, but what about sound? Well, a Sound Blaster Live Value ($50) supports 4 channel sound, so why not use two channels for each user, giving them each stereo sound?

So now we have two fully interactive terminals. Why buy this instead of two computers? Think of the family angle marketing could take: use the computer, bond with your youngster. Do your taxes while they do research for school. Time on the computer is no longer competed for, but actively shared. Is it sappy? Yes, but it could also be beneficial. Think about teaching your youngster math, and using a computer program to do it. You could choose which problems to give, making it tougher or easier as you see fit. After all, you know your child best. And if you have two kids, have them compete against each other simultaneously to see who knows spelling better.

Why would Intel like this? Well, they make far more profit on one Pentium 3 600 than on two Celeron 400’s. Thus, selling a high end machine and billing it a “Multi-User ready” could boost their bottom line. Who benefits? Well, families do, and I’m sure that hard core users like myself will feel some effect as more programs come out that support multiple monitors and more hardware comes out that is more flexible. So, as far as I can see, everyone wins.

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