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Nvidia CEO: The PC Has Lost its Magic

by - source: Tom's Hardware US

Thanks to the maturity of hardware, the PC just doesn't dazzle us anymore.

Nvidia's CEO Jen-Hsun Huang recently told the BBC News that the PC has lost its magic... or, at least, the PC as we've come to know it today. While he's not condemning the platform in any way, he does offer a valid point: hardware has reached a mature level, making it one of the reasons why PCs no longer amaze us as they once did. But what's the next level? Where does technology go from here?

The Nvidia CEO foresees a future where gesture recognition and computer "vision" come into play, when a PC knows that its owner is sitting in front of the screen simply by observing the user's face, the way he moves and speaks. While that may sound a bit far-fetched and ripped straight out of a science fiction movie, Huang believes it to be a possibility in the next generation.

"These kinds of capabilities are certainly within the next generation, because we have created a processor for the GPU that makes it possible to do parallel processing so much faster on a PC," he told the BBC. "We think this GPU technology is going to transform computing in a way that will bring back the magic to consumers."

Huang's lengthy interview with the BBC spans the history of Nvidia, going back seventeen years when the market was saturated with over 70 companies churning out GPUs, to the recent CES 2010 trade show where Nvidia was boasting about its latest GPU-powered movie, Avatar. But during the interview, Huang made one thing perfectly clear: even though the company is expanding into new areas, PC gaming will still be its primary focus.

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staalkoppie 20/01/2010 10:16
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LOL...what a pitch///

LePhuronn 20/01/2010 11:14
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Fuck you Huang and your total bullshit. The PC is dull now, but NVIDIA will save it!

How will you save it? Just how? Fermi's late and not due in any form for mainstream adoption for a while. It's massively hot and power-hungry. You're going nuts over Tesla and Tegra, and you've pissed off all your partners.

Save yourself first then worry about the rest of us.

christopher1705 20/01/2010 14:09
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wise up everyone without a pc the world is nothing!

Pailin 20/01/2010 14:29
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Awww,

they are just jealous of AMD barely being able to keep up with demand for their new 5XXX series even now


Bet they wouldn't be saying this if they got their Fermi out in Nov. like they had hoped - instead we got a "working" mock up held together with wood screws xD LOL

Anonymous 20/01/2010 14:33
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They really are a bunch of sore losers. Swings and roundabouts to be honest.

Let's just see what the next 'pitch' is when fermi is crowned the next performance king. What a jack ass.

LeRoo 20/01/2010 15:22
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Ha ha. This is just a bit of marketing blurb to try and drum up a bit of business for the new Tegra. It's along the lines of "... the PC is so passé, take a look what you can do with this piece of plastic with a Tegra inside..." Pah!

LeRoo 20/01/2010 15:22
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Ha ha. This is just a bit of marketing blurb to try and drum up a bit of business for the new Tegra. It's along the lines of "... the PC is so passé, take a look what you can do with this piece of plastic with a Tegra inside..." Pah!

Clintonio 20/01/2010 15:34
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I honestly think what he's saying is right, even if it is a pitch for another company. I've not been dazzled once since Crysis. Focusing on input for a while, rather than output, would give the PC an edge back, since the consoles have been doing it for decades, yet we're stuck with a mouse and keyboard... still. PC Gamers, including myself, will shout from the rooftops about how amazing the mouse and keyboard are, but there are still more options to explore. (Oh yeah, microphone counts too). Still, it's a sales pitch and we all know it!

Clintonio 20/01/2010 15:35
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Tom's needs an edit button:

even if it is a pitch for HIS company

Vampyrbyte 20/01/2010 16:22
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Funny how the PC has lost all its magic when Nvidia have lost all their money, and lost the GPU war, maybe forever.

And what exactly have the consoles developed? Sod all. Thats what. Unless your playing Wii sports, anything that has come from Motion sensing or whatever on the recent consoles is but an afterthought in the game.
Console gaming boils down to using a gamepad and a TV.
PC gaming is your keyboard and your monitor, hasnt changed for the last 20 years, and since you get about 1 truely epic game a year i see no reason for the way i control my gaming equipment to change for the next 20.

Pailin 20/01/2010 16:58
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I Really Love my Mouse and KB.

You get such speed and precision with a good mouse - almost anything else will be slow and sloppy or will tire your arms like some gadgets in recent years which are gimicks really. But important steps in input evolution nonetheless.

Until we hit true full 3d immersive environments where you can interact with any virtual construct - I wouldn't waste too much time developing "junk" that will ALL become obsolete on the advent of such a true interface bringing in the dawn of a real cyber space :D

I seriously think a suitable eye tracking laser beaming the whole full 3D virtual world into the users eyes is the initial way forward.

I think this tech is closer than you'd think too...

taiso 20/01/2010 17:11
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one more reason to get a 5000 series from ATI. nvidia's PR people need to get this guy of the press. this has been one of many embarassing/unnecessary sales pitches in the past few months. remember the 'mac and nvidia are the world's greatest' one?

Anonymous 26/01/2010 13:33
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Want to try something new? This looks quite cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ1Rz2clLS0, a potentially fun replacement for a mouse.

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