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| Top Stories for May 18, 2001 (details below) | |
| EBN | Transmeta lands notebook design win at Sharp |
| C/Net | Transmeta adds Sharp to Japanese allies |
| C/Net | Taiwan's VIA chases low-cost PC market |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
| The Register | Dell confirms AMD Athlon 4 notebook release? |
| Microprocessor
Headline News Collected By Robert R. Collins |
Week of May 13, 2001 |
Older News |
| May 18, 2001 | |
Transmeta lands notebook design win at SharpBy Reuters May 17, 2001 |
Continuing its advance into the laptop-computer market,
upstart microprocessor design company Transmeta Corp. said on
Thursday that Sharp Corp. will use its low-power Crusoe chip
in a line of notebook computers. Transmeta said Sharp's Meibius PC-SX1-H1 notebook PC, which it said can run for as long as 10 hours with a second battery, will be available in Japan on June 30. Using the Crusoe TM5600 processor running at 600 Megahertz, the notebook PC will weigh 3.2 pounds, Transmeta said. |
Transmeta adds Sharp to Japanese alliesBy Richard Shim May 17, 2001 |
Sharp will introduce a notebook with a Transmeta processor in
Japan next month, the companies announced Thursday. Sharp's Mebius PC-SX1-H1 notebook, set for release June 30, will use Transmeta's 600MHz Crusoe processor. The Sharp announcement rounds out Transmeta's support by major Japanese notebook makers. Transmeta already has deals with NEC, Fujitsu, Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi. |
Taiwan's VIA chases low-cost PC marketBy Reuters May 17, 2001 |
Taiwan chipset designer VIA Technologies has rebranded its
microprocessor line under its own name and is releasing new
products to gain market share in the low-end personal computer
market, marketing director Richard Brown said on Thursday. Brown, speaking to an investor forum sponsored by Credit Lyonnais Securities (Asia), said the company will introduce its first 1GHz microprocessor--the central brain of a PC--by the fourth quarter under the VIA C3 name, just in time for Christmas. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
Dell confirms AMD Athlon 4 notebook release?By Tony Smith May 17, 2001 |
Dell may have inadvertently confirmed that it is indeed to
offer an notebook PC based on AMD's Mobile Athlon 4 processor. Earlier this week, analyst Eric Ross of Thomas Wiesel Partners advised investors of Dell's move, citing sources reliable enough to calm his initial scepticism. Dell remains the last major PC supplier to maintain an Intel-only policy. Signing AMD would mark a significant win - financial and psychological for Intel's arch-rival. |
| May 17, 2001 | |
AMD, Dell Dealing On Mobile ChipsBy Edward F. Moltzen May 16, 2001 |
Advanced Micro Devices has cut a deal with Dell Computer Corp.—the last major PC vendor not using its processors—to use its new mobile chips in laptops, according to a financial analyst. Eric Ross, who covers AMD (stock: AMD) for Thomas WeiselPartners, San Francisco, said the deal is on track to be announced next month. Such a deal would be significant for AMD, as Dell (stock: DELL) had been the last major PC maker to have an exclusive OEM agreement with chip giant Intel Corp. (stock: INTC). |
Intel counters AMD with "Tualatin" chipsBy John G. Spooner May 16, 2001 |
Delivering a counterpunch to rival Advanced Micro Devices and its new 1GHz Athlon 4 chip, Intel will launch five new mobile Pentium III chips this July, sources said.
The chips--code-named Tualatin (pronounced "TWO-ala-tin")--will be the first new and faster Pentium III chips in more than a year, boasting clock speeds of up to 1.13GHz, according to sources familiar with Intel's plans. |
Intel samples Tualatin processors, based on 0.13-micron process technology
|
Intel Corp. is quietly sampling its first products based on its 0.13-micron process technology--a microprocessor line for use in notebook and low-end PCs, according to analysts. The new processor line is designed to fend off competitive threats from Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Transmeta Corp., and Via Technologies Inc.
Intel's new chip, code-named Tualatin, is a long-awaited, 0.13-micron version of the company's Pentium III processor line. At present, the Pentium III is based on a 0.18-micron technology, but the processor family is running out of steam, analysts said. |
Transmeta lands another Sony design winBy Jack Robertson May 16, 2001 |
Transmeta Corp. followed up its first Crusoe processor design win with Sony Electronics' Vaio notebook PC by Wednesday getting its low-power MPU into the second generation Vaio portable PC.
The new Sony notebook at one-inch thickness and weighing 2.2 pounds uses the 667-MHz TM5600 Crusoe processor. Transmeta officials said the processor will allow the latest Vaio notebook to operate up to 20 hours on a quad-capacity lithium ion battery. |
Sony chooses Transmeta againBy Richard Shim May 15, 2001 |
Sony plans to sell a second Transmeta-based notebook in the United States, the consumer electronics giant will announce Wednesday.
Last fall, Sony became the first company to bring to the United States a notebook with a Transmeta processor. The first unit, the Vaio PCG-C1 PictureBook, used Transmeta's 600MHz Crusoe. Sony's second such notebook, the Sony Vaio PCG-C1VP PictureBook, uses a 667MHz Crusoe and will ship next month in the United States for $2,000. The unit has been shipping in Japan for several months. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
AMD/Dell deal - analyst backpedals fastBy Andew Thomas May 16, 2001 |
RATHER BREATHLESS reports yesterday hinted that Dell might have finally broken off the engagement with Intel and sent the ring back. The Register claimed that an analyst was saying a deal to use mobile Athlons in notebooks would be announced
RSN.
Most sites think this is so much hot air, JC's excellent pages have a readers poll where 20 per cent are dribbling with anticipation, 35 per cent think it's a load of bull and the remaining 40 per cent aren't too sure really. Check it out here. |
No Brookdale-DDR until 2002By Mike Magee May 16, 2001 |
SOME HOPEFUL ANALYSTS returning from a briefing at Intel's "nearly finished" 12-inch fab are still hoping that La Intella will manage to produce its 'Brookdale' DDR chipset for the Pentium 4 around the same time as its SDRAM, PC 133 chipset.
We got news for you guys - it won't. We'll refer you back to the May 3 roadmaps we wrote about at the end of last week. |
How the P4 got its name
|
WOULD YOU Adam and Eve it? The BBC's teletext service, Ceefax, has a story today about the bible being translated into cockney rhyming slang. This will no doubt cause a degree of hilarity and / or annoyance over at the Beeb's website, where the story ran back in February.
When you or I stall the car at the traffic lights, it's put down to finger trouble, or (in motor trade-speak) 'the nut behind the wheel' failing. This explanation was also used by well-liked McLaren Formula 1 team boss 'Laughing' Ron Dennis, as dour Scotsman David Coulthard was accused of 'brain fade' when he stalled on the grid a couple of weeks back. |
Athlon 4 name just plain sillyBy Q "the infamous qlat" Liu May 16, 2001 |
BY NOW you have surely heard that the T-bird's replacement, Palomino, is being marketed under the name Athlon 4 - at least for the mobile network. This is really silly - am I the only one who thinks so? How can AMD expect us to take them seriously?
Personally, I think AMD should adopt a new naming scheme; something to become an industry standard: every update of a CPU should be named by the year it is released. For example, the socket T-bird would be the 2000 Athlon, and the Palomino would be the 2001 Athlon. There is no reason that any CPU line should be updated more than once a year. It's expensive for the consumer and doesn't allow the manufacturer enough time to make significant improvements and work out bugs *cough*M$*cough*. |
Intel P4 notebooks next yearBy Mike Magee May 16, 2001 |
P4 NOTEBOOKS at revs of 1.5GHz and 1.6GHz and higher will arrive in Q1 and Q2 of next year, according to confidential roadmaps The Inquirer has seen.
This follows other product announcements from Intel between now and September and reveal the extent to which the firm fears AMD and Transmeta may dent its status as the major notebook chip supplier. Intel will attempt to hold out against offensives by Transmeta and AMD by positioning its products as "stable products" for the corporate marketplace. |
Rambus-Compaq fates intertwinedBy Mike Magee May 16, 2001 |
WHILE THE RAMBUS share price stands at just over $11 following the recent law case between it and Infineon, we should not forget the importance of this bus ticket to one company, at least.
Compaq, which despite its acquisition of Tandem and Digital is still thought of by many as a PC company, has a successful family of high end servers based on Alpha technology. And the future plans for those involve the use of Rambus technology, which the Big Q considered to be the "bee's knees" for the type of architecture it will implement in the future. |
| May 16, 2001 | |
Via to create first chipset for Athlon 4By Bloomberg News May 15, 2001 |
Via Technologies, which doubled its share of the chipset business last year at Intel's expense, is introducing the first chipset designed for an Advanced Micro Devices new processor for notebooks.
The chipset, which manages the flow of data between AMD's new Athlon 4 processor and other parts of a computer such as the display and memory chips, is part of a plan by AMD and Via to take more of the notebook business away from Intel, the largest chipmaker. |
Via and S3 unveil chipset for mobile AMD processorsBy Faith Hung May 15, 2001 |
Via Technologies Inc. and S3 Graphics Inc. have introduced a graphics chipset developed specifically for the new mobile Athlon and Duron processors of Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
Dubbed ProSavage KN133, the chipset is a fully integrated shared memory architecture (SMA) product, which targets the thin and light, ultra portable, entry level and mainstream sectors of the mobile marketplace, according to Taipei-based Via, which previously introduced chipsets for desktop AMD processors. |
Commentary: AMD knows what's in a nameBy Mark Margevicius, Gartner Analyst May 15, 2001 |
It doesn't seem like much, but naming the second generation of Athlon microprocessors "Athlon 4" could give Advanced Micro Devices a boost against rival Intel.
And AMD needs all the help it can get. The size and strength of Intel in the market represents its greatest barrier to growth. AMD has therefore consistently looked for ways to put some marketing space between itself and Intel. Many of its moves represent style more than substance--for example, beating Intel past the 1GHz speed mark. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
AMD to announce Dell design win for Athlon 4By Tony Smith May 15, 2001 |
AMD has finally won over Dell. The PC vendor will end its exclusive use of Intel CPUs in June when it announces that it will use AMD's mobile Athlon 4 in an upcoming high performance laptop.
That, at least, is what Thomas Weisel Partners analyst Eric Ross claims to have been told by sources. In a pro-AMD report issued to investors today, Ross said AMD will announce Dell's support at the Computex Taipei show early next month. |
Pentium 4 not selling wellBy Mike Magee May 15, 2001 |
INTEL'S SHARE PRICE fell yesterday after an analyst from a Wall Street outfit dared say the unsayable - that the Pentium 4 is not selling particularly
well.
The "news", which we have reported several times here, is taken more seriously if delivered by a young smart looking chap rather than a member of the tribe of raddled old Brithacks. [And a good thing too, Ed.] |
Intel still working on Itanic alternativeBy Mike Magee May 15, 2001 |
A SECRET PROJECT being undertaken in Oregon will allow Intel to bring out an alternative 64-bit chip architecture should AMD's Hammer family ever pose a threat to the chip giant's business, The Inquirer has learned.
The project, wrapped around with great secrecy, is a tacit admission by La Intella that its Itanic family may still come to grief on the iceberg of disinterest and apathy from large corporations. |
AMD actively promoting DDRBy a Staff Writer (cough) May 15, 2001 |
NOT VERY LONG after we started The Inquirer Web site we noted that AMD had trademarked a "Team DDR" logo.
And now its significance is becoming apparent. The firm has been sending out fliers to its dealers and system integrators actively promoting the benefits of DDR. The flier, which uses the Team DDR logo and which we've seen a copy of, says: "DDR memory effectively allows twice as much data to run between the processor and the memory. That means faster graphics, more intensely played games, and computing that brings the Internet rapidly to life. With DDR memory you can really get things done faster! (Emboldening is AMD's). |
Dell jumps fun on Foster launchBy Mike Magee May 14, 2001 |
MAJOR INTEL DISTRIBUTOR Dell has jumped the fun on Intel's
Foster launch and is offering its Swedish customers dual
Foster systems if they act now.
A 16-page flyer sent out to customers apparently details its Dell Precision Workstation 530. This month's "special offer" is a Precision 530 - which costs 35,990 Swedish crowns (around 2,500 UK pounds, $3,500) excluding VAT and shipping. |
| May 15, 2001 | |
Analyst: Intel may miss targetsBy Margaret Kane May 14, 2001 |
Thomas Weisel Partners analyst Eric Ross lowered revenue estimates for Intel Monday, saying he believes the company could miss estimates for the second quarter.
In a research note, Ross said lower unit shipments, high costs and severe price cuts on Pentium 4 chips could contribute to the shortfall for Intel. Intel was off 38 cents to $27.56 in morning trading, while rival Advanced Micro Devices fell 21 cents to $27.47. |
AMD's Athlon 4 keeps pace with Intel in mobile spaceBy Jerry Ascierto May 14, 2001 |
Fresh on the heels of a similar offering from arch-rival Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) today unveiled its first 1-GHz mobile processor, part of the Athlon 4 family.
The chips feature AMD's battery-conscious PowerNow! technology, which the company claims can extend battery life by up to 30 percent. Both HP and Compaq have announced support for the processor; a new Compaq 1200-series Presario notebook based on the 1-GHz Athlon 4 was released over the weekend. |
Itanium to arrive at lastBy Michael Kanellos May 11, 2001 |
It's been a long, strange trip, but the first servers and workstations containing Intel's Itanium chip will start to hit the market in a few weeks at prices a bit lower than expected.
Intel will release the long-awaited--and oft-delayed--chip at the end of May, according to sources, and most computer companies plan to come out with their products around the same time. IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Dell Computer and other large computer manufacturers will soon unveil two-, four- and even 16-processor computers containing the 64-bit Itanium chip for the first time. |
Transmeta branches out with Web tabletBy Ian Fried May 14, 2001 |
Score one more for Transmeta.
A long-awaited Crusoe-based Web tablet is set to hit the market this week. Sonicblue--the former graphics-chip company turned Internet-appliance maker--announced on Monday that it began shipping ProGear, a wireless Internet tablet using Transmeta's Crusoe TM3200 chip. Sonicblue (formerly known as S3) was one of the first companies to announce plans to build a Transmeta-based device, shortly after the chipmaker emerged from stealth mode in January 2000. |
Intel maps out 300-mm campaign--and another Oregon fab--to cut chip costsBy Mark LaPedus May 14, 2001 |
Setting its 300-mm sights on cost cutting in microprocessors and other products, Intel Corp. here is gearing up to accelerate the ramp of new processes for larger-diameter wafer substrates. Those plans include yet another new 300-mm facility in Oregon.
During briefings with analysts and the press on Friday, Intel officials hinted that the company was in the early stages of planning a new 300-mm fab, called "D1D", in Hillsboro. What is expected to be a next-generation 300-mm development fab will most likely cost between $1.5-to-$2 billion when it is fully equipped. |
With 300-mm tools qualified, Intel is unconcerned about 193-nm scanner delayBy Mark LaPedus May 14, 2001 |
Intel Corp. here has finished qualification of semiconductor equipment vendors for its first 300-mm wafer fabs, but the company is still waiting for delivery of the most critical tools--193-nm lithography systems from Silicon Valley Group Inc.
Last month, SVG confirmed a three-to-four month delay in shipment of its new scanner, which is based on 193-nm, argon-fluoride (ArF) laser technology (see April 25 story). The delay is impacting Intel and other customers. |
Will MRAM Be Master of Memory?
|
From the outset, Infineon Technologies AG always set out to be a memory innovator.
"We're not just doing me-too products that reduce the DRAM business to the lowest common denominator of who's best at running factories," said Andreas von Zitzewitz, Infineon's chief operating officer, in describing the company's intentions several years ago. At that time Munich, Germany-based Infineon (nyse: IFX) was announcing a new type of DRAM cell that involves burying the transistor in the trench. Although trenches have been used for burying capacitors in the silicon substrate, they have not been used for burying transistors. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
Intel accused of wrecking AMD plans
|
WELL, WE REALLY HAVE TO try and make sense of Intel's strategy for the rest of this year.
You'll see from the below that it isn't just us that are a little confused by the intro of new Pentium IIIs using a .13 micron process. Some mobo makers in Asia are claiming that Intel is deliberately confusing things to throw dust in the face of its newly confident competitor - AMD. Serious accusations indeed. The latest, week 18 roadmaps we saw, complete with prices, show that despite reports on a number of wires (including ours, we confess), Intel really does seem to be on target to deliver .13 micron processors pretty soon now. |
Top 10 Reasons Why Intel's Craig Barrett must stayBy Phil Trent May 13, 2001 |
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IBM confirms Intel Itanium 29 May launch dateBy Tony Smith October 5, 2001 |
IBM will launch its upcoming Itanium-based workstation, the IntelliStation Z-Pro 6894, when Intel tells it that it can and not a moment sooner.
"It's ready to ship as soon as Intel allows us to do so," said Steve Horobin, IBM Personal Systems Group's EMEA workstation marketing chief with special responsibility for the finance sector (but not job titles, clearly). |
Dual bus Athlons appear in GermanyBy Mike Magee May 12, 2001 |
JUST BEFORE our Taiwanese contact scurried off into the heart of London's throbbing West End, he drew yet another system diagram on yet another
beermat.
This one, he said, was all about bus topologies. The picture on the left showed a Shared Bus (obviously not the No. 19 going to Rambus via Infineon), where available bandwidth is shared and therefore limits frequency, while snoops interfere with transfers. |
Mobo makers sniffy about 100MHz FSB 1GHz PIIIBy Tony Smith October 5, 2001 |
Taiwan's mobo makers aren't too keen on Intel's plan to ship 1GHz and 1.1GHz Pentium III processors designed to work with a 100MHz frontside bus.
They fear the part - presumably designed to broaden the Intel's appeal at the low-end of the PC market - will have the reverse effect, according to a DigiTimes report. The part is due to ship sometime next month. Intel's recent Pentium 4 price cuts have pushed the PIII even further into what might normally be considered Celeron territory. Intel has long been accused of neglecting the low end. Indeed, while the P4 is expected to hit 2GHz in Q3, the Celeron line won't reach 1GHz until Q2 2002. AMD, on the other hand, is expected to ship a gigahertz Duron during the middle of this year. |
Via P4 chipset to integrate Super SavageBy Fuad Abazovic May 13, 2001 |
ACCORDING TO Via Hardware, as well as other news we've dug out, we understand that Via's Pentium 4 chipset exciting the entire universe, is likely to have Super Savage integrated into the chipset.
The "Paramount" code name is now well known under the 'SuperSavage' brand and we expect to see this core in VIA's P4M266 chipset, and future chipsets from Via as well. [Via had better be careful. Maybe the Cyrix people it doesn't employ any more remember how the Richardson TX firm got threatened for using the Jedi word. Ed.] |
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