MSN and eMachines Announce Plans for MSN Companion Device

eMachines is the first hardware manufacturer to announce a timetable for shipping an MSN Companion Internet appliance and has said it will deliver product before the end of the current quarter (Q3). The company is shooting for an “Out of Box” experience where a user simply plugs the Web companion into a phone line and power outlet and begins surfing the Web, with no special setup or configuration required.

The MSN Companion is Microsoft’s first attempt to gain experience in a new and unproven market that could someday prove to be a PC substitute-and thus threaten Microsoft’s bread-and-butter business. Formerly code-named “Mariner” and also known as the “MSN Web Companion,” the MSN Companion is essentially a stripped down PC running a minimal operating system and Web browser. It provides access to the Internet via Microsoft’s MSN Internet access service. The new device, targeted at first-time computer users who have avoided purchasing a full-blown PC owing to the expense and complexity, allows users to surf the Web but does not support typical desktop applications such as word processing. Besides eMachines, both Compaq and Vestel USA have committed to shipping MSN Companions in the near future.