Dell Going Private To Build USB Computer That Runs Windows, Mac, Linux, Other Operating Systems


Dell is attempting to move from a public to private company for the first time in decades and that move could allow the company to experiment with a new type of revolutionary USB-stick based PC.

Known as project Ophelia, the unit is a “self-contained PC” that is the size of a USB thumb drive. The device runs on “virtual instances of … operating systems running in the cloud” to give users access to “Windows, Mac OS, Google’s Chrome OS, Dell’s custom cloud solutions, Citrix cloud software, and even Google’s Chrome OS.”

Users would simply plug Ophelia into a flat-panel television and then choose the OS they want to use after it connected to the nearest Wi-Fi network.

Each OS would be located in the cloud, which means the USB stick would not require a tremendous amount of processing power to operate and data would be stored remotely, removing the need for localized storage.

With the advent of USB 3.0 and what is sure to be even faster USB speeds in the future, the device could ultimately become the cloud-based device of the future, allowing for the type of connectivity currently reserved for the Google Chrome OS.

According to Tarkan Maner, Dell’s vice president of cloud operations, the device would cost just $50 to purchase.

With cloud based computing becoming the new standard in computing, the Dell Ophelia could become the next big thing in computing.

The biggest hurdle now will be for Dell to go private. After all, no investor is going to stand behind a model that essentially throws out the company’s consumer profit center.

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