“The operating system software maker, which yesterday announced
plans to go public, said in a regulatory filing that it plans to
expand into the market for information appliances, including TV
set-top boxes. The company hopes to raise $57.5 million.”
“The set-top field already includes some formidable foes angling
to get into next-generation digital set-top boxes, including Sun’s
Java OS for Consumers, a host of embedded operating systems from
companies such as WindRiver, not to mention Microsoft’s Windows CE.
Microsoft’s CE efforts got a huge boost yesterday with its $5
billion investment in AT&T.”
“Intel executives have said the company planned to support the
BeOS on its set-top box platform. Be also held a product
demonstration at last September’s Intel Developer Forum. The
combination of Intel’s manufacturing prowess and Be’s vaunted
multimedia-oriented software could help gain the attention of PC
companies looking to enter the information appliance market.”