For years, VIA was the near undisputed king of the South bridge chipset market. But, as it is with the tech industry, the likes of Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD saw potential profit margins floating away. It's pretty hard to find any mainstream motherboard now a days that sports a VIA chipset, though VIA still designs and manufacturers a number of chips and processors (yes, VIA makes processors). And now, VIA has set its sights on the third world PC market

The Mecer Eduction PC for South Africa

The Mecer Education PC is a low power consumption computer that is making its way into the South African PC market. Though the specs won't impress most of us, it is perhaps the basis of what ones first computer should be.

Operating System & Software

• Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium (XP will probably work too)
• Supports Linux Kernel 2.6.x (there are Penguins in South Africa, really!)

Description

• Designed for emerging markets
• Highly power-efficient VIA pc2500 processor

Hardware

• Mainboard:
• Form Factor: Micro-ATX (260mm x 210mm)
• Processor: VIA 1.5GHz C7-D CPU
• Chipset: VIA CN700 + VIA VT8237R+
• Memory: 2 x DDRII slot, support up to 2G DDRII 400/533, dual channel
• Hard Disk drive: 3.5” IDE / SATA
• Optical Drive: 5.25” IDE
• Front Panel Ports: 1x VGA, 1x USB 2.0 (line-out, line-in & mic), 4x PS2, 2x Audio Jacks
• Power Supply: 180W
• Operating Temp: 0º-50ºC
• Dimensions: 345mm x 136mm x 355mm
• Weight: 5.9kg
• Peripherals: PS2 Keyboard / PS2 Optical Mouse

Certainly, it's not a power house PC, but it is a start. There's been no hint as to pricing as of yet, but one would hope that it wouldn't break the $500 dollar US price tag. Currently, a farm worker in South Africa receives a wage that is just over $100 USD per month. Basic blue collar might see $150 USD per month, and higher level positions could reach up to $250 USD per month.

It is an emerging market, and could present some level of competition for the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project. Another interesting note upon the Mecer Education PC is its low power consumption features. Currently, the electrical power infrastructure in South Africa is quite sensitive. High demand and limited supply makes for a somewhat less than stable power grid. VIA has yet to release any figures on overall system power draw, but it would probably be relatively low, depending of course upon the type of monitor used. The Mecer Education PC does run off a 180W power supply.

Mecer is one of the largest PC retailers in the South African region. The entered that market way back in 1987, having grown since to serve all of Africa as the leading IT and PC distributor in that country.