| April 9, 1999 |
|
By Dan Goodin
April 8, 1999
C/Net
|
A controversial serial number in Intel's
latest chip will erode privacy on the Web, harming users'
ability to access sensitive information and making them
vulnerable to unscrupulous snoops, several advocacy
groups told the Federal Trade Commission today. In a
brief supplementing a complaint filed earlier with the
FTC, the groups argued that the Pentium III feature,
known as PSN or processor serial number, will change the
Internet as it exists today.
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See
Today's Related Stories |
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By Joseph F. Kovar
April 8, 1999
Computer Reseller News
|
Intel on Thursday gave attendees at the
Windows Hardware Engineering Conference a look into the
future with desktop and mobile processor road maps. Pat
Gelsinger, vice president and general manager of Intel's
Desktop Products Group, said at the show that the
0.18-micron wafers, which will increase the performance
of future processors while reducing power needs when
compared to current technology, are already in
fabrication. Production of processors using the
technology will ramp up in the second half of the year.
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See
Today's Related Stories |
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By Sergio G. Non
April 8, 1999
PC Week Online
|
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. expects to
report another quarter of worse-than-forecasted results. On
Wednesday, the Sunnyvale, Calif., chip maker said it
shipped 4.3 million K6-2 processors in the first quarter,
far fewer than planned. In addition, AMD continued to
feel the pain of price wars, which forced it to sell
chips at an average of just $78 each. The combination of
disappointing production and falling prices resulted in
first-quarter revenue of about $630 million, down 20
percent sequentially.
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By Warren S. Hersch
April 8, 1999
Computer Reseller News
|
Shares of Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
fell sharply today after the CPU maker warned of lower
earnings due to reduced sales. AMD's loss contrasted
with gains of the major indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average rose 112 points to 10,198, while the
technology-fueled Nasdaq was up 29 points to 2,573.
At market close, AMD shares dipped 63 cents, or 4
percent, to $15.56.
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By Stephanie Miles
April 8, 1999
C/Net
|
National Semiconductor, one of the
companies that gave birth to the low-cost PC with its
Cyrix chip brand, is, with the help of Hewlett-Packard,
now looking to a future beyond the PC. Cyrix
processors, found in Packard-Bell NEC, Compaq, and
Emachines computers, dominate the lowest of the low-end
of the market--which is fine with Steve Tobak, vice
president at National Semiconductor, which owns the Cyrix
chip brand. This segment of the market is growing
rapidly, and Cyrix processors are found in the
preponderance of sub-$600 machines.
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| The Register Files |
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By Mike Magee
April 8, 1999
The Register
|
Chip manufacturer AMD said late
yesterday that its K7 processor will not now ship in
June, as it had anticipated. At the same time, the
company said there was a substantial decline in its first
quarter and all processor shipments have been badly
affected.
Severe price competition caused revenues to slip, said
AMD, while it also had problems shipping K6-2 processors
because of yield problems.
|
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By Mike Magee
April 8, 1999
The Register
|
IDT/Centaur will create a Socket 370
version of its WinChip platform. But it will likely be
WinChip 5, a source close to the company said today.
He said: "Our roadmap shows the WinChip 2, 3 and
4, and that's all we've said publicly.
"We will produce a Socket 370 product but it
won't be out this year. We don't have a licence for
Socket 370 but by then we think we'll have one."
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By Mike Magee
April 8, 1999
The Register
|
Sources close to Compaq revealed today
the depth of bitter antagonism between its two server
divisions, with bush fires breaking out over the
Alpha-Merced roadmaps. The source, who declined to be
named for obvious reasons, said: "There is a
fundamental issue with Compaq, and that is they have two
different server divisions trying to drive forward
different strategies."
She said that the high end server division, headed up
by Jesse Lipcon, and which came from the Digital camp,
was "gung ho" about the Alpha platform.
|
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By Mike Magee
April 8, 1999
The Register
|
Hewlett Packard confirmed today that it
will introduce an eight-way system on Monday next which
will have the full support logic and chipset for the
Merced processor. But until silicon arrives, in
mid-2000, the system will use PA Risc chips, said Hugh
Jenkins, server manager at HP, UK.
He said: "We're now close to releasing a machine
which will be the first properly ready Merced machine.
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By Mike Magee
April 8, 1999
The Register
|
We, and a host of other independents,
have specialised in getting hold of Intel roadmaps before
we're supposed to in the past. But now it looks as
though Intel wants to join in the fun too.
On the channel bit of its site, the Mighty Chipzilla
is proudly showing off where it will be in the server
market during 1999.
The Profusion chipset, which we wrote about in all its
glory yesterday, is there, as are its plans for the 440HX
Carmel chipset.
|
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| Today's
Related Stories |
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By Maria Seminerio
April 8, 1999
C/Net
|
The Center for Democracy and Technology
and two other advocacy groups are expected Thursday to
join a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission against
Intel Corp. over its Pentium III chip. The CDT will
file a brief alleging that Intel's (INTC) chip, which
contains a serial number that can be used to identify
individual computer users, could be misused by online
stalkers and other criminals, according to CDT officials.
The CDT will be joined in the action by Consumer
Action and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation.
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By Jack McCarthy
April 8, 1999
InfoWorld Electric
|
Privacy advocates seeking to force Intel
to change or discontinue the personal identification
number in its Pentium III chip today added material to a
complaint they previously filed against the company with
the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The new material,
filed by Consumer Action, the Center for Democracy and
Technology (CDT), and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation, elaborates on the original complaint,
which said the technology can allow private information
about computer users to be improperly tracked.
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By John G. Spooner
April 8, 1999
PC Week Online
|
Intel Corp. on Thursday walked
developers attending Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Hardware
Engineering Conference though the next iteration of the
Intel-based desktop. Available in September, the PC
will sport a 500MHz or faster Pentium III chip with 4X
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), Rambus Direct RAM (which
requires Intel's forthcoming 820 chip set with a 133MHz
front side bus) and a hard drive that supports ATA66, a
recently introduced disk drive interface that can
transfer twice as much data as today's ATA33 drive.
|
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By Stephanie Miles
April 8, 1999
C/Net
|
Intel outlined its road map for desktop,
mobile, and server chip lines today, announcing a new
mobile technology designed to extend battery life. In a
keynote address at the WinHec developers conference here,
senior vice president Pat Gelsinger disclosed plans that
generally consist of faster megahertz speeds and better
price performance.
"First we ignored the sub-$1,000 PC, then we
denied its existence," he said, admitting Intel's
slow start in the rapidly growing low-end market.
"Now we've embraced it, and we're achieving good
success with the Celeron line."
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| April 8, 1999 |
|
By Michael Kanellos
April 7, 1999
C/Net
|
The first quarter for AMD is getting
worse by the day. AMD, which will announce first
quarter losses after the market closes on April 14, today
said that it only shipped approximately 4.3 million
processors during the quarter, well below company
predictions that it would sell close to 5.5 million and
below the 5 million plus processors it sold in the final
quarter of 1998, according to the company.
|
See
Today's Related Stories |
|
By Marcia Savage
April 7, 1999
Computer Reseller News
|
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. announced
Wednesday that it shipped 4.3 million K6-2 processors in
the first quarter of this year, far short of the 5.5
million units the chip maker expected to ship. AMD,
based here, said last month that it would report a
significant loss in its first quarter. The company will
report its actual results April 14.
In its announcement Wednesday, AMD said severe price
competition--especially for processors operating below
400MHz--caused average selling prices for its K6-family
processors to drop to $78. The company said it expects
first-quarter revenues to be approximately $630 million,
compared with $541 million in revenue for the same
quarter last year.
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By Michael Kanellos
April 7, 1999
C/Net
|
The latest version of the Xeon processor
shipped today, and sources said a new, faster Pentium III
will come out next month. Intel's 550-MHz Pentium III
Xeon chip arrived on schedule, according to the company
and server vendors. Intel announced the chip last month,
but only started shipping it today.
Micron Electronics became the first server vendor to
announce systems based around the processor.
|
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| The Register Files |
|
By Mike Magee
April 7, 1999
The Register
|
IBM's pre-announcement of its Profusion
eight way SMP box later this year cannot disguise the
fact that Intel is being tardy delivering essential
infrastructure for the platform. Tikiri Wanduragala,
IBM EMEA's Netfinity manager, said today that his
company's machine will ship in Q3.
But he also admitted that problems with the chipset
accounted for the time lag.
Both Compaq and IBM have showed Saber systems. Big
Blue exhibited the box at the giant German trade fair,
CeBIT, last month.
|
|
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By Mike Magee
April 7, 1999
The Register
|
Tikiri Wanduragala, the charismatic
director of Netfinity products at IBM EMEA, was in
Raleigh last week talking to his colleagues who work on
bus technology. And he was adamant that his company,
Compaq and Hewlett Packard have not fallen out over the
PCIX versus the NGIO bus.
However, he did say that the PCIX chipset was due to
ship shortly, an interesting snippet of information.
|
|
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By Mike Magee
April 7, 1999
The Register
|
Sources close to Merced's plans said
today that Intel has an ambitious plan to hire 70
engineers to help it sort out various problems with the
microprocessor. And the same source, a senior
executive at one of Intel's largest OEMs, said that while
his company had still not yet seen silicon, even if
samples arrived on time, systems using the Merced chip
would not appear until the very end of 2000.
Intel has publicly committed to providing silicon
samples in June this year, and shipping chips in June
2000.
|
|
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By Mike Magee
April 7, 1999
The Register
|
NatSemi Cyrix said today that Tatung was
to manufacture its WebPad design and aim it at the mass
market. It is the first OEM announcement in a string
of others, according to our source at Cyrix.
The devices will arrive in volume in Q3 this year,
according to the announcement.
|
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| Today's
Related Stories |
|
By Duncan Martell
April 7, 1999
SiliconValley.com
|
Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Intel
Corp.'s chief rival in the market for microprocessors,
Wednesday warned for the third time in little more than
two months that first-quarter results would again
disappoint financial analysts and investors. The
reasons are unchanged from the first two instances:
continued and intense pricing pressure as a result of
renewed competition from Intel on the low end of the PC
market and production problems that have plagued AMD's
production of its fastest chips since it introduced the
K6-2 chip.
|
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|
April 7, 1999
Semiconductor Business News
|
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. here
announced today that it shipped 4.3 million units of the
AMD-K6-2 processors in its just-completed first quarter,
which was substantially less than planned. As a result,
the company said it expected first-quarter revenues to be
well below last quarter. Severe price competition,
especially in processors below 400 MHz, caused average
selling prices (ASPs) for AMD-K6 family processors to
decline to $78, the company said. As well, previously
reported yield problems that affected December production
of K6-2 chips continued to take a heavy toll on
production volume and mix through the first eight weeks
of 1999. (see Jan. 14 story). Wafer starts containing the
design enhancements to fix these yield problems produced
positive results in March, the last five weeks of the
first quarter.
|
|
| April 7, 1999 |
|
By Marcia Savage
April 6, 1999
Computer Reseller News
|
Graphics-chip maker S3 and chip set
supplier Via Technologies will work together to develop
integrated chip sets, the companies said Tuesday. The
chip sets with integrated graphics will target the
"mainstream and growing value PC market" and
support processors from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices,
the companies said.
"This agreement is an outstanding progression for
both Via and S3 as it allows us to combine forces to
develop and deliver compelling solutions that will put us
at the top of the integrated chip set ladder," Wen
Chi Chen, president and CEO of Taiwan-based Via, said in
a prepared statement.
|
See
Today's Related Stories |
|
By Brooke Crothers
April 6, 1999,
C/Net
|
S3 and Via, two major players in their
respective chip markets, announced today that they are
teaming up to produce a new class of chips that could
further reduce PC prices. S3, one of the world's
largest graphics chipmakers, and Via, a leading supplier
of PC chipsets, will build chips which fuse the two
companies' technologies into one chip.
Importantly, the joint venture targets PCs which use
both Advanced Micro Devices and Intel processors, further
illustrating AMD's newfound clout and rising market share
compared to Intel.
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By Reuters
April 6, 1999
C/Net
|
Bonuses paid to senior executives at
computer chip giant Intel were cut substantially in 1998,
a year in which worldwide chip sales suffered a big
decline, the company reported today. Chairman Andrew
Grove, 62, saw his 1998 bonus fall to $1,926,800 from
$2,790,400 in 1997, Intel reported in a proxy filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Grove's base salary rose to $490,000 from $465,000,
the Santa Clara, California, company said.
|
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| The Register Files |
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By Mike Magee
April 6, 1999
The Register
|
Chip giant Intel has made a firm no
comment following speculation that its Coppermine
technology will include 64K of level one cache. Rumours
circulated towards the end of last year that the original
iteration of Katmai (Pentium III) processors would
include double the cache but they proved unfounded.
Now speculation is rife on the WWW that Coppermine
will come with the 64K cache.
|
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By Mike Magee
April 6, 1999
The Register
|
Chipset company Via and graphics company
S3 confirmed today they had set up a strategic alliance. Both
will work together to produce integrated chipsets for
both AMD and Intel microprocessors.
The first fruits of alliance are expected to arrive in
the second half of this year aimed at both mainstream and
low end PCs market.
|
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By Mike Magee
April 6, 1999
The Register
|
Our favourite Japanese site, Happy Cat
has posted some pics of Rambus modules on its Web site. Our
friend Daiki says that the Japanese caption describes
them as 300MHz DRDRAM from Mitsubishi.
People were showing them in back rooms at CeBIT but
wouldn't let us in.
|
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| Today's
Related Stories |
|
By Mark Hachman
April 6, 1999
Electronic Buyers' News
|
As expected, chipset maker Via
Technologies Inc. confirmed its relationship with
graphics chip maker S3 Inc. as a supplier of core logic
technology for S3's integrated chipsets. As previously
reported (Via to partner with S3 in chipsets ), Via
originally complained that S3 couldn't meet its own
production timeline. Those problems have since been
resolved.
In the second half of 1999, Santa Clara, Calif.-based
S3 will sell the "SavageNB," the north bridge
of a core logic chipset designed with Via.
|
|
| April 6, 1999 |
|
April 5, 1999
Electronic Buyers' News
|
Advanced Micro Devices introduced a
475-MHz version of its K6-2 microprocessor Monday, which
will power a soon-to-be-released IBM Aptiva consumer PC
system targeted at the retail market. "With the
advent of the AMD-K6-2/475 processor, we continue to
deliver cost-competitive, leading-edge solutions for the
consumer and small-business markets," said Dana
Krelle, vice president of marketing for the Computation
Products Group at AMD, in Sunnyvale, Calif., in a
statement. "IBM's use of our fastest AMD-K6-2
processor adds strong momentum to AMD's commitment to
offer exceptional value and functionality for the PC
user."
|
See
Today's Related Stories |
|
By Mark Hachman
April 5, 1999
Electronic Buyer's News
|
The uncertainty surrounding Direct
Rambus DRAM has again jostled Intel Corp.'s chip-set
roadmap, threatening to unseat the stable platform the
company hopes to establish. PC manufacturers are being
notified that the chip set, once known as the Intel 815,
has been renamed the Intel 810E, offering low-cost PCs a
133-MHz frontside bus by September--three months earlier
than the original shipping date of the Intel 815.
|
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By Michael Kanellos
April 5, 1999
C/Net
|
Intel released three new processors for
mobile computers today amid concern that notebook price
drops are coming to a halt. Although processor prices
continue to decline because of competition, the cost of
other notebook components is stabilizing, and even
climbing in the case of LCD monitors. As a result, the
retail price of low-end notebooks is beginning to settle
in at around $1,499 and may soon rise.
"You won't see entry-level prices continue to
fall. In fact, you might even see people raise
prices," observed Randy Giusto, notebook analyst for
International Data Corporation. "$1,499 is getting
harder to make money on."
|
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By Rebecca Sykes
April 5, 1999
InfoWorld Electric
|
Intel on Monday announced the
availability of its newest mobile Celeron processor, and
Hewlett-Packard signed on to include the chip in one of
its notebook lines. The 333MHz Celeron is designed to
deliver long battery life, a mobile-friendly thermal
design specification, and a special packaging for smaller
and lighter systems, according to Intel. The chip is
offered in quantities of 1,000 in Ball Grid Array (BGA)
packaging or the Intel Mobile Module for $159 and $214
respectively, the company said.
HP said it will ship the chip in an HP OmniBook
notebook PC which HP will introduce in the next few
weeks.
|
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By Kim Girard
April 5, 1999
C/Net
|
Intel is hoping a little persistence
will pay off in the server market--and raise the profile
of its new Xeon processor. The chip giant said today
that it has invested in application server software maker
Persistence Software and will jointly work to develop
products that run on Intel-based servers with the San
Mateo, California-based company. Financial details were
not disclosed.
Under the deal, Intel said it and privately held
Persistence will improve the performance and
scalability of the Persistence PowerTier application
server, which runs on Intel's new Pentium III Xeon based
servers. Intel debuted the Xeon chip last month, a
higher-powered version of previous Pentium processors
with more high-speed cache memory. The new chips run at
500 MHz and 550 MHz.
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By Reuters
April 5, 1999
Tech Web
|
Even amid signs of weaker-than-expected
PC demand, U.S. chip makers are expected to report solid
first quarter earnings, asnetworking and wireless
applications fuel more demand. So far, only one major
semiconductor maker, Advanced Micro Devices, has
preannounced an earnings shortfall, because of
manufacturing problems and pricing pressures in the PC
market.
|
|
| Special Report: How Intel puts the
shackles on PC makers |
Inside
Intel
Chip maker's restrictive marketing
program--and millions in subsidies--shackle PC makers
By Lisa DiCarlo
April 5, 1999
PC Week Online
|
Federal Trade Commission investigators
looking into allegations of Intel Corp.'s tight-fisted
control over PC makers might want to follow the
money--specifically, the hundreds of millions of dollars
Intel spends annually with PC makers for the Intel Inside
program. The wildly successful program, which began
broadly in 1994 as a way to create brand equity for the
Pentium processor, has evolved into Intel's premier
marketing vehicle, managed by an army of attorneys,
accountants and administrators.
Intel (Nasdaq:INTC) has deftly used the program to
keep competitors at bay in the most profitable segment of
its business: corporate PCs. That, in turn, has left
corporate buyers with fewer options--and higher
prices--when choosing business desktops, notebooks and PC
servers.
|
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|
PC Week Special Report
April 5, 1999
PC Week Online
|
Intel Inside licensees face stringent
guidelines: System naming: Licensees' computer products
"should never use names confusingly similar to Intel
trademarks," e.g., use of "II" or
"III" in a system name. Licensees lose
reimbursement of marketing funds if a non-Intel system
uses the same brand or sub-brand name as the Intel-based
product. All changes in product names must be submitted
to Intel.
|
|
ZD
InfoBeads research:
Inside the chip market Market data
shows where Intel is strong -- and where competitors are
gaining
PC Week Special Report
April 5, 1999
PC Week Online
|
ZD InfoBeads closely tracks processor
trends in the retail and dealer channel. Follow the links
below for detailed market data on Intel and its
competitors. How tight is Intel's grip on the workplace
market? AMD and Cyrix have gained significant market
share in the U.S. retail market, but not in the U.S.
workplace market, where Intel is dominant. But could the
U.S. workplace market go the way of the retail market?
Could the low-price trend that hit consumer PCs in 1997
take off in the U.S. workplace market in 1999 and cause
PC vendors and users to question their allegiance to
higher-priced Intel components? Just exactly how loyal is
the workplace to Intel?
|
|
Compaq
strays from Intel again
PC maker raises stakes with plans to
use AMD chip in ProSignia notebook
By Lisa DiCarlo
PC Week Special Report
April 5, 1999
PC Week Online
|
Compaq Computer Corp., which helped
pioneer the sub-$1,000 PC market by making it acceptable
for OEMs to use non-Intel Corp. processors in consumer
PCs, is at it again. The Houston company last week
unveiled a road map for small and medium-size businesses
that includes ProSignia notebooks using chips from
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Officials are also
considering AMD processors for ProSignia desktops and
servers.
"All of our development groups are looking at
[using AMD chips]," said Lisa Baker, director of
product marketing in the commercial business unit, which
includes all ProSignia products. That includes AMD's
forthcoming K7 processor, she added.
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| The Register Files |
|
By Mike Magee
April 5, 1999
The Register
|
As expected, Intel has introduced a
333MHz version of its Celeron mobile chip. At the same
time, it introduced low voltage versions of its mobile
PII and Celeron at 266MHz.
The 266MHz parts run at 1.6 volts and use a ball grid
array package, slimming down the notebook form factor
once more.
|
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By Mike Magee
April 6, 1999
The Register
|
At the end of this week, Intel will
slash prices on its Celeron, PII and PIII processors by
as much as 20 per cent, as revealed here earlier. The
PII/333 will become one of the Intel disappeared. But,
in the meantime, a reader has asked us how come he can
already buy a boxed retail Pentium III/500 online for
$669 when its distributor list price is $696/1000?
How, he asks, can he buy a single CPU for $30 less
than Intel sells them by the thousand?
|
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By Mike Magee
April 5, 1999
The Register
|
AMD is expected to announce the 475 MHz
version of its K6-II processor today, upping the stakes
on the battle of the benchmarks. The rumours have been
around for a fair while. See, for example, K7 ripped
asunder on Japanese site.
Last week, AMD claimed that ZD benchmarks were
inaccurate and its chips are faster than Intel's Pentium
III. This, of course, is a matter for quite some
debate...
|
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| Today's
Related Stories |
|
By Michael Kanellos
April 5, 1999
C/Net
|
Advanced Micro Devices has ratcheted up
the speed on its K6-2 processor again, and further
extended its partnership in the consumer arena with IBM. AMD
today released a 475-MHz version of its K6-2 processors
for desktop systems. While the chip is slower than
Intel's 500-MHz Pentium III, it is faster than Intel's
fastest Pentium II and Celeron chips, which are closer
competitors to the K6-2 in terms of price and market
segment.
The 475-MHz K6-2, which costs $213 in volume
quantities, will largely go into consumer computers
selling at $1,200 and less. Although few of AMD's chips
end up in computers for the business market, the company
lead Intel in U.S. retail market share for the first two
months of the year, according to various studies.
|
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|
April 5, 1999
Semiconductor Business News
|
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. here today
announced its 475-megahertz AMD-K6-2 processor -- the
fastest it has yet introduced -- targeted at the consumer
PC market. With 3Dnow! technology, which enhances
floating-point-intensive 3-D graphics and multimedia on
the x86 architecture, the AMD-K6-2/475 processor exceeds
the clock speed of Intel's fastest Pentium II processor,
the company claimed. AMD is counting on the chip to offer
price/performance that will strengthen AMD's position in
the retail PC market.
|
|
| April 5, 1999 |
|
By Mark Hachman
April 3, 1999
Electronic Buyers' News
|
The uncertainty surrounding Direct
Rambus DRAM has again jostled Intel Corp.'s chipset
roadmap, threatening to unseat the stable platform the
company hopes to establish. OEMs are being notified
that the chipset once known as the Intel 815 has been
renamed the Intel 810E, offering low-cost PCs a 133-MHz
frontside bus by September-three months earlier than the
original shipping date of the Intel 815.
That has complicated Intel's chipset roadmap, which
was supposed to be relatively straightforward. At Intel's
fall analysts conference, company executives had promised
a simple 1999 chipset lineup, minimizing the
qualification testing OEMs needed to perform on each
device.
|
|
|
April 2, 1999
Windows Magazine
|
"Labeled the "amazing profit
machine" by Forbes magazine, Intel has a long
history of industry domination and spectacular profit
margins. Intel chairman Andy Grove was Time's 1997 Man of
the Year. As recently as this January, Intel announced
record earnings and revenues. But those halcyon days are
gone. Or are they?" "The secret to Intel's
"profit machine" is to rapidly churn out
ever-faster new chips in high volume and charge a bundle
for them. But chip performance now exceeds the demands of
Windows 98. For many business users, cheaper alternatives
are almost as good as pricey Pentium IIIs. (See our
review of PIII- and AMD K6-3-based PCs in this
issue.)"
|
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By Michael Kanellos
April 2, 1999
C/Net
|
The cost of a basic PC built around
Intel components could drop about $100 later this month,
after the company rolls out its long-awaited
"Whitney" chipset. At the same time,
performance in the low end of the market should improve
with the release of another Celeron processor.
On April 26, Intel will release a 466-MHz version of
its Celeron, sources say, sparking the launch of new
systems and price cuts on existing processors and
computers. More important, the date will mark the release
of the first systems based around Intel's 810 chipset,
code-named Whitney, which fuses a 3D processing unit with
a standard PC chipset.
|
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| The Register Files |
|
By Mike Magee
April 4, 1999
The Register
|
Japanese stores are beginning to sell
Rise processors in Japan, with an mP6 266 (200MHz)
processor costing ¥5,800, not much more than $50 or so. The
evidence, together with pictures is available here
At the same time, PC 133 SDRAM sales have started in
Japan, according to the same site, with motherboard
support. A 128Mb module costs ¥26,800, according to the
pictures. The modules are made by Princeton, Samsung,
Micron and Toshiba, the text suggests.
|
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By Mike Magee
April 4, 1999
The Register
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We've tried over the last six months to
get a dialogue going with US semi company IDT but to no
avail, despite the fact that all of the other x.86 firms,
including Great Stan itself, are more than happy to talk
to us. For that reason, we've relied on distributors
and dealers which IDT does talk to, plus hardware sites,
including JC's Pages and Jonathan Hou at Fullon3d.
Once again, those two sites have some information for
us. The former provides a translation of a Japanese
article from Nikkei Net which we can briefly summarise.
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By Mike Magee
April 3, 1999
The Register
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Our mole over at the Intel Job Centre
has provided us with a fresh wish list for Merced
engineers. Readers will recall that "The Sixth
Vulture" provided us with a stream of vacancies for
Merced engineers only a week or two back.
Now, he says, a spate of further vacancies is up for
grabs.
The latest job ads are for 28 in the last few days
with some subtle changes from the last batch of
vacancies. Some are re-posted vacancies but one,
available at Redmond, has now moved to Satan Clara,
Chipzilla Central.
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By Mike Magee
April 2, 1999
The Register
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Hardware site PC Velocity has
interviewed an AMD spin paramedic who is claiming it will
have a 1GHz processor by next year. We exclusively
predicted this at the end of last year. (Story: AMD plans
1000MHz copper whopper)
And the interview also claims that next year we will
see AMD processors using copper technology, as already
revealed here.
AMD is following a long line of other processor
companies which say they will also have GHz processors
real soon now.
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By Mike Magee
April 3, 1999
The Register
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US corporations have to file form 10Ks
with the Security and Equity Commission (SEC) and in the
last three days a bunch of them has done just that. But
AMD's filing is of particular interest for several
reasons.
In the next few days, AMD will release its latest
financial results and they will not be good, as it warned
earlier.
In the SEC filing, AMD sets out its different business
lines. Its CPG division, which includes microprocessors
and core logic products, accounted for 50 per cent of its
net sales in 1998.
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By Mike Magee
April 3, 1999
The Register
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When AMD struck an alliance with
Motorola at the end of 1998, we knew that part of that
deal was the copper and interconnect technology the
latter developed. But the alliance, which lasts seven
years, is much more wide ranging than at first appeared.
The long appendix to AMD's filing on the 29th of March
is full of gaps, marked *****, which concern secrets that
it and Motorola don't want competitors to know. But as
with any document, lacunae are often pretty easy to
decipher.
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By Mike Magee
April 4, 1999
The Register
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As first reported here early this year,
the Celeron Slot One platform will be dead in the water
by June. That is the preparatory move by Intel for
other Slot One platforms to disappear too, as we reported
from February's Intel Developer Forum.
The move is partly to do with new designs and the end
of legacy systems that Intel and its customers are
planning.
Again, at IDF, senior VP Paul Otellini confirmed that
Intel was moving to a socket design.
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