By John Oates, 18 September 1998 00:30
NEWS Craig Barrett, Intel's CEO, has hinted at a possible takover of networking giant 3Com. In a Q&A session at a developer conference in Palm Springs, Barrett was asked about rumours that Intel might be looking to buy 3Com for $9bn. He replied: "We never comment on speculation about speculation. "We're very interested in networking... and we have a lot of cash. I could borrow $9bn without hurting the company - speaking hypothetically." Meanwhile, in his keynote speech at the same conference, the Intel chief called on hardware manufacturers to rethink the PC if they want it to become a true consumer product. He said the machines need to be easier to use and maintain - while continuing to develop in terms of performance and price. He added that ease of use, security and bandwidth were the major issues the industry faces today. Commenting on the wider development of the Internet, Barrett said it will see a billion PCs connected by around 2005. He believes one of the driving forces behind this growth will be ecommerce. Barrett claimed that while the Kennedy assassination was the defining moment for television in the 1960s - he saw the Starr report as the same watershed for the Web.
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