Overview Information appliances are an emerging category of digital consumer electronics that provide the consumer with a low-cost, easy-to-use, instant-on device, providing lightweight, reliable, special-purpose access to the features and benefits of the Internet. These consumer devices enable infotainment. They provide the ability to access email on the move, check driving directions when on the road, manage appointments and schedules when waiting at the doctor’s office, and play video games while relaxing on the sofa. Market Research Information appliances are directly targeting the PC market. Early analyses already show the information appliance market moving ahead of the personal computer and notebook computer market. An analysis from IDC predicts that the worldwide race to capture the consumer home between the PCs and information appliances is narrowing. The worldwide shipments of PCs is predicted to increase from 55 million units in 2000 to 67 million units in 2002. The worldwide shipments of information appliances is predicted to rise sharply from 24 million units in 2000 to 50 million units in 2002. In the United States the unit shipments of information appliances will exceed the unit shipments of PCs. The unit shipments of PCs is predicted to grow from 21 million in 2000 to 25 million in 2002. Comparatively, the shipments of information appliances is predicted to rise sharply from 12 million units in 2000 to 28 million units in 2002. Market Trends Information appliances are being driven by: Aggressive vendor pursuit Consumer market demands Advancing bandwidth capacity Lower product costs Consumer needs Device distribution subsidized by service contracts rather than retail or direct-sales like in PCs Types Digital TV / HDTV Digital set-top box Internet screen phones Cordless phones VoIP phones Internet-enabled cell phones DVD players Digital VCR Internet gaming consoles MP3 / Internet audio players Security systems Utility meters PCs (desktop and notebook) Web pads / Web tablets / fridge pads Web / email terminals PDA (personal digital assistant) Digital cameras Auto PCs White goods (washer, dryer) Xilinx Solutions The Xilinx Spartan-II programmable logic solutions offer the flexibility to build products that can be reprogrammed in the field at costs for lower than any other programmable solution. Because the information appliance market is growing rapidly, it is essential to bring products to market quickly. Xilinx Spartan-II products provide support to multiple broadband access and home networking interfaces and provide system integration and interconnectivity to these interfaces. Hence these products provide decreased time-to-market, increased time-in-market and the rapid product proliferation in this market. Please view the presentation to see how Xilinx solutions can help you build products in this fast evolving market place.