PORTLAND, OREGON, October 26, 1999-- The Mobile Advisory Council (MAC), a consortium of mobile computing and peripheral vendors that functions as an advocate for mobile design requirements, today announced its new 1999/2000 Board of Directors and the passage of its first formal recommendation to the mobile industry. Officially incorporated with 22 member companies in April 1999, the MAC is developing proposals in all aspects of mobile computing that will make mobile PCs easier to use. Its first proposal enables the design of a new generation of intelligent self-power-managed components that will provide dramatic decreases in power consumed.
Promoting a Better Battery Life Experience
The MAC's initial proposal recommends a change in the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification that was developed by Microsoft, Intel and Toshiba and implemented by notebook PC manufacturers beginning in late 1998. The proposed change enables devices attached to mobile computers to implement local power management features, creating a more efficient environment for sharing the power management task between the operating system (OS) and device. In this scenario, devices such as PC Cards, hard drives, or other peripherals manage some of their own power needs instead of waiting for commands from the OS or PC - the method supported in the original ACPI specification. Experiments by MAC member companies designing peripherals using this intelligent device power management scheme, demonstrated significant power savings - directly correlating to a significant extension of battery life.
"Improved battery life will no doubt improve productivity for mobile professionals and enhance the user experience," said Dr. J. Gerry Purdy, President of Mobile Insights. "This proposal brings forth a very practical method for implementing intelligent device power management and with MAC's broad industry representation, it is clear that this proposal already has strong support."
A MAC appointed liaison has been selected to carry the proposal to the ACPI standards committee for endorsement and will work with the group to determine the best implementation approach for end-users.
Review of PC2001 Mobile Specifications
The MAC is actively reviewing the requirements for mobile PCs in the Intel/Microsoft PC2001 Specification. Requirements within the draft specification of interest to the MAC relate to docking stations, networking, audio and video subsystems, and the removal of legacy Input/Output (I/O) ports. In addition, the MAC is reviewing applicable portions of the Easy PC Initiative. The MAC is expecting to complete its initial review comments for the 0.3 version of the draft in early November. Follow-on incremental reviews of PC2001 sub-releases will continue until its expected final release in mid-2000.
Tackling Wireless Challenges
On-going activities in the MAC include reviewing wireless technologies, like BlueTooth and 802.11 (Wireless LAN), as part of its process to develop a broad-reaching set of recommendations for deploying wireless technologies in notebook and handheld PCs. First drafts of the MAC's wireless proposals are anticipated by the end of 1999. Manufacturers planning wireless products for use with mobile computers are strongly encouraged to join the MAC and attend the next meeting scheduled for November 2-3 in Austin, Texas.
1999/2000 MAC Board of Directors and Membership
The MAC Board of Directors represents the interests of a wide range of mobile technology industry leaders and includes the following members: Rebecca Krull, 3Com (Chair); Kyle Odiorne, AMD; Paul Stanley, Compaq (President); Vaughn Watts, Dell (Vice President); Sam Shimakage, Fujitsu; Jerry Marazas, IBM; Ian Seacombe, Xircom.
The MAC includes numerous leading mobile PC and peripheral vendors:
Founding Members
3Com Corporation, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Dell Computer Corporation, Fujitsu PC Corporation, IBM, Mobility Electronics, Inc., TDK Corporation of America, Tantivy Communications, Inc., Texas Instruments and Xircom, Inc.
Members
Acer Laboratories, Inc., Agate Technologies, Inc., American Megatrends, Inc., Gateway, Inc., Hewlett Packard, Hitachi Data Systems, Insyde Software, Inc., Phoenix Technologies Ltd., Sharp Labs of America, Watergate Software, Inc., and iGo.com Corporation.
The MAC invites mobile PC and peripheral vendors to join the organization at any time. For more information on the MAC or to join, please visit www.mobileadvisory.org, call 503.297.2206 or email administration@mobileadvisory.org.
About the Mobile Advisory Council
Formed in 1998, the Mobile Advisory Council (MAC) is a non-profit, open, industry consortium of leading mobile industry professionals and decision makers that advocate mobile computing issues to existing standards bodies and the industry. With over 20 members, the MAC encourages industry-wide participation and extends an open membership invitation to companies worldwide
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