Power management as a system-level inhibitor of modularity in the mobile computer industry
Name
57554537-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
5.12 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
bf3c0449614e6f9dc705ced86ebc90c7
Author(s)
Weinstein, Samuel K. (Samuel Keith), 1974-
Advisor(s)
Daniel E. Whitney.
Date Issued
2004
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Since the mid-90s, the computer industry has been very modular with respect to both product architecture and industry structure. The growing market size of mobile computers means that the challenges facing this segment are starting to affect the direction of the industry. It is argued in this paper that power management in mobile computers is forcing the industry in the direction of more integral product solutions and, hence, a more integral industry structure. That is to say, the industry is assuming a structure similar to the early days of mainframe computers when one firm delivered the entire proprietary integral system. Furthermore, this trend towards more integrality in mobile computer systems is due to fundamental physical attributes of the system; specifically, that information transfer systems lend themselves more readily to modular architectures than systems that transfer significant power. Thus, as processors and mobile computers become more powerful, they start to behave more like power transfer systems and side effects of this power, such as heat, require a more integral approach to managing it. A "free body" diagram framework is presented which provides a way of thinking about how integrality forces are acting on an industry's trajectory. Evidence is presented showing how the dominant player in the computer supply chain, Intel, is exhibiting this vertical/integral behavior in a number of ways.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 88-90).
Subjects
System Design and Management Program.
MIT Department
System Design and Management Program.
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