NEW YORK: Chipmaker Intel Corp. has announced that it will offer $1 million in prizes to designers and manufacturers who can develop better alternatives to the existing multimedia PCs.
Under a contest called Intel Core Processor Challenge, the company is seeking small, sleek designs of multimedia PCs powered with its Core 2 Duo processors. The designs will be judged on the basis of style, acoustics, functionality and features.
Intel said it will offer a grand prize of $300,000 to help developers and their company put the selected design into mass production. In addition, $400,000 will be offered for co-marketing the product with Intel. The company will also choose a first-place winner, who will receive $300,000.
Intel's general manager of digital home group Eric Kim said today's consumers make their purchase decisions based on more than just price and features. They also consider the size, shape and style. "Our intent with the Intel Core Processor Challenge is to think outside of the box — think sexy, small and sleek PCs optimized for multimedia entertainment – and we're putting our money where our mouth is," said Kim in a statement.
Intel said the competition is open to PC designers worldwide and developers and their companies can submit up to five original designs based on Intel's Viiv technology and using Intel Core 2 Duo processors. The results will be announced at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco mid-March.
The designs will be judged by a panel, including Intel president Paul Otellini and Kevin Sintumuang, associate editor of GQ.
