Intel’s chip upgrade program a bold model for computing

Intel is suffering criticism over its new program through which a computer buyer can unlock extra power and memory in his or her new computer by handing over $50, downloading some software, and keying in a security code. Cynics suggest that Intel’s program smacks of greed and shortsightedness. After all, they argue, why should anyone have to pay extra to unlock the full potential of hardware they’ve just purchased?

But maybe Intel is on to something here. Why not make all hardware a pay-for-play affair? Take, for instance, monitors: Instead of making us choose among various display sizes, why not sell all monitors with a 30-inch display, but with a default viewable space of 15 inches? Users could expand the viewable space on a pay-per-inch basis.

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Also, all monitors should have high-def capabilities, but they’ll be enabled for a modest fee. Surely users wouldn’t feel shortchanged in not getting full use out of a piece of hardware that cost them good money. No, they’d appreciate paying a slightly lower price for less functionality — not to mention the convenience of being able to upgrade on the spot. Think of the savings!

What about the mouse? Any old-school Mac user can tell you that the right-mouse button is a luxury item — like a leather interior in a new Mercedes-Benz. Why do we have right-click convenience forced down our throats? Let the lazy mousers pay to unlock the feature.

And don’t get me started on keyboards, which are loaded with characters the average users doesn’t need. Carats? Tildes? Semicolons? Leave them for mathematicians, linguists, and English majors, who can shell out micropayments to unlock those features.

Intel’s program need not be limited to hardware — software vendors could embrace the model too. I have Microsoft Office on my system, but I guarantee you that I don’t use 70 percent of the features. Why does my company have to pay what amounts to a software tax so that snooty academicians and engineers can use obscure features like “Cross Reference” and “Footnotes” in Word or “Radar Charts” and “Math and Trig” functions in Excel? Frankly, given the choice, I’d be happy to save money by not having access to the Cut function; I’d just use Copy and Delete.

If there’s any flaw in Intel’s program, it’s the fact that you’re paying a fee for power or memory you might need only occasionally. For example, I use my computer almost exclusively for Internet browsing and lightweight apps, but on occasion, I require heavy lifting for, say, Photoshop or Office. Under Intel’s plan, I should be able to pay only for the necessary temporary power and graphics acceleration. Think personal cloud.

In the perfect world of desktop or laptop computing, in which Intel’s concept reaches its ultimate fruition, we won’t pay for computers upfront at all. Rather, we’d take home state-of-the-art machines loaded with the latest software and platforms free of charge — but with each and every feature locked. Then, we’d be conveniently and automatically be charged as we used resources or access features.

Turning on the computer? There’s a modest power-on fee — extra if you want fast power-on. Launching an app? There’s a fee for each minute you spend using it, plus tolls for necessary processing power and memory to make it run. And for just a couple cents more, your app could really zip!

Sending an email? There’s a per-bit charge for data sent. Saving a file? Don’t forget the per-byte fee. (Backups are, of course, extra.) Running a script? Clicking your mouse? Stroking a key? Fee. Fee. Fee. The beauty is, customers would be fully in control of what they’re paying to compute; plus, it would eco-friendly behavior as users strived to reduce usage.

Despite the jeers of the naysayers, I take my hat off to Intel for paving the way toward a bold, new world of computing, one in which customers’ needs come first. I’m sure the company’s plans have nothing to do with protecting its record profits or saving pennies for that next friendly company buyout. Hopefully other industries will follow suit. I, for one, would be happy to pay my automaker to unlock such features as second gear and antilock brakes feature only after determining I really needed them.

This article, “Intel’s chip upgrade program a bold model for computing — and beyond,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog.