Microsoft has ambition plans for
Microsoft has ambition plans for computer privacy, piracy, security, and authentication. By getting support from Intel and AMD, MS envisions a new PC architecture with specialized security chips combined with new software.
For Palladium to take off MS has to make sure it’s effective, easy to use, and inexpensive. Creating an industry standard that includes chip and computer makers is one way MS will try to make Palladium work.
Computer makers should love Palladium. It gives them something beyond sheer processing speed and price to market to businesses and consumers. When people really don’t see a need to buy a 2 GHZ computer just to get a small fractional performance boost over their 1 GHZ, price becomes the defining factor in buying a new computer. Makers are forced to lower prices to gain marketshare. They’re then in the unenviable position of decreasing margins–not good for the company’s stock price.
Palladium will fail if users have to know about the gory details of public key encryption. While Pretty Good Privacy offers users the ability to encrypt e-mail, it’s usability is daunting to most e-mailers. Geeks may see the jumble of numbers and letters that make up their public key as a badge of honor, but the rest of use look at it and go, “Looks way too complicated for me.”
Palladium is a big project from MS. This is the same company betting big on web services with .NET. Splitting mindshare on these two highly important projects may hurt the development of both. Or MS programmers and scientists could end up with better projects through synergy. What we do know is MS doesn’t rest on their laurels. The best part of Bill Gates’ management is his desire to always push his company forward. Palladium does just that.
“The Big Secret“
