x86 Headline NewsFor the week of April 13, 1998 |
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Week of April 13, 1998 |
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April 17, 1998 | ||
Pentium II lacks killer softwareBy Michael Kanellos April 16, 1998 |
Complex, data-heavy Web sites and
business applications that only the fastest desktop
computers can process are scarce, but these are exactly
what Intel needs to drive sales of its Pentium II chip. At the moment, few business applications require consumers to graduate from low-end Pentium MMX computers to Pentium II systems. |
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Opti Reports $1.8 Million Loss, 58 Percent Sales DipBy Patrick Waurzyniak April 16, 1998 |
Wracked by continued losses and revenue
declines, Opti said Thursday that the company's talks
with potential suitors to buy the chip set maker, or
portions of its assets, have been unsuccessful to date. Opti, which in February disclosed it had secured an investment banker to help sell the company, reported $9.8 million in sales for its fiscal 1998 first quarter ended March 31, a 58.3 percent drop from $23.6 million in revenue for the first quarter last year. |
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BIOS makers Phoenix, Award to mergeBy Robert Lemos April 16, 1998 |
BIOS developers Phoenix Technologies
Ltd., of San Jose, Calif., and Award Software
International Inc., of Mountainview, Calif., agreed
Thursday to merge in a stock swap valued at almost $120
million. The combined companies' products will span a broad range of software services for PC and consumer electronics makers, including BIOS software for PCs and laptops. |
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Intel desktop share to slipBy Kurt Oeler April 16, 1998 |
Almost all of this year's revenue growth
in Intel and Intel-compatible microprocessors for the
desktop arena will go to Intel's rivals, according to a
new market research report. The desktop market for x86 processors will grow 3 percent to $11.9 billion dollars in 1998, but Intel's revenues will remain flat, according to Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst for Dataquest. Declining industry prices are offsetting the chipmaking giant's increased unit shipments, Brookwood said. |
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AMD INTRODUCES 300-MEGAHERTZ AMD-K6® PROCESSORApril 7, 1998 |
0.25-micron Technology from Austin Fab
Takes Performance to New Level IBM® rolls out two new Aptivas with AMD-K6 processors AMD today introduced a 300-megahertz version of the AMD-K6® processor based on 0.25-micron process technology and produced in the company's Fab 25 facility in Austin, Texas. A 266-megahertz version of the AMD-K6 also is available from Fab 25. |
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Intel court ruling: implications for Microsoft?By Brett Glass April 17, 1998 |
Last week's Alabama federal court ruling
enjoining Intel Corp. from engaging in discriminatory
practices involving its intellectual property could have
some implications for Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) in its
ongoing antitrust suit with the U.S. Department of
Justice. The court barred Intel (INTC) from giving advance technical information about new processors to some companies and not others and refusing to license patents on CPU buses to makers of competitive chip sets and motherboards. |
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Intel's Celeron due in terminalsBy Michael Kanellos April 16, 1998 |
Although the new Celeron chip is getting
a tepid response from computer vendors, the processor
will begin to appear in low-cost terminal computers in
Japan later this year. Intel (INTC) will market digital information terminals with Japanese and European computers vendors in the second half of the year, according to reports in Nihon Keizai Shimbun, a major Japanese business newspaper. |
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Intel Rolls Out High End/Low End ProcessorsBy Ken Presti Apr. 16, 1998 |
Intel Corp. Wednesday unveiled its new
line of super fast Pentium processors along with a new
chip aimed at the cost conscious entry level marketplace. The new Pentium II processors run at 350MHz and 400MHz, respectively, and are designed to run in conjunction with an enhanced 100MHz system bus, a 50 percent increase in speed over its previous bus generation. Together, the two devices offer an aggregate speed boost of up to 30 percent, said Intel officials. |
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April 16, 1998 | ||
Intel to lose market share in '98By Reuters April 15, 1998 |
Worldwide sales of Intel-compatible
microprocessors will rise only 16 percent in 1998,
reflecting collapsing prices, market researcher Dataquest
said on Wednesday. The report also stated that Intel would lose ground to chip competitors in 1998. |
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Desktop x86 MPU growth slowsBy Staff Writer April 15, 1998 |
Reflecting price erosion in
microprocessors for desktop PCs, worldwide revenues for
x86-based MPUs will grow only 16% to $22.722 billion in
1998, according market researcher Dataquest here today. In 1997, x86-based microprocessors used in computing grew at more than 27% to $19.578 billion, based on Dataquest estimates. In 1998, midrange and workstations will be the growth drivers instead of desktop personal computers, concluded the research firm in a new x86 forecast. |
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Intel launches first Celeron MPU, two high-speed Pentium II chipsBy Staff Writer April 15, 1998 |
In a move to match up microprocessors
with different system price and performance requirements,
Intel Corp. today rolled out two new Pentium II chips
running at 350 and 400 MHz and the first Celeron
processor, which is targeted at low-cost personal
computers, operating at 266 MHz. "Intel's goal is to deliver the best products for each segment of computing," said Paul Otellini, executive vice president of the Intel Architecture Business Group. "Pentium II processor-based systems bring the highest levels of performance and functionality to business and consumer users, while Intel Celeron processor-based PCs deliver the quality, value and compatibility that users expect from Intel." |
See Today's Related Stories |
Few plan products based on Intel's latest chipBy Robert Lemos April 13, 1998 |
Intel Corp.'s battle plan for
introducing new processors is fairly straightforward: Rev
up the marketing machine, call in a media blitz, and roll
out several platoons of supporting PC makers. Those PC makers, however, will be breaking rank in San Francisco on Wednesday, when Intel announces Celeron, a pint-sized Pentium II for the sub-$1,000 market. |
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How New Pentium IIs Measure UpBy Mark Spiwak April 15, 1998 |
Intel has upped the performance ante once again with its Pentium II line of central processing units (CPUs) and support circuitry. The company unveiled Wednesday the 440-BX, a new motherboard chip set that supports a 100-MHz system bus rather than 66 MHz. Just as important, Intel is bringing out 350-MHz and 400-MHz processors to be paired with the new chip set. | |
Pentium II Support Stronger than CeleronBy Kimberly Caisse April 15, 1998 |
In contrast to the number of companies
unveiling new products that will have the latest Pentium
II processors, only a few have said they will build
commercial systems with Intel Corp.'s low-cost Celeron
processor. PCs with the Celeron chip, a 266MHz Pentium II without the Level 2 (L2) cache, are not expected to start shipping until the end of May as Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel ramps up production. |
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IBM May Distance Itself From CyrixBy Mark Hachman April 15, 1998 |
IBM Microelectronics Inc. may elect not
to follow partner Cyrix Corp.'s lead in renaming its
microprocessor line, a company spokesman said. Although Cyrix Corp. chose to rename its 686MX processor the M II, IBM Microelectronics is considering building its own brand image further, said the spokesman for IBM, Fishkill, New York. |
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Intel tells users they need more speedBy Dan Briody April 15, 1998 |
Intel's introduction here on Wednesday
of its Celeron chip and new Pentium IIs was unique in
that it was the first time the chip giant introduced a
high-end and low-end processor for the PC space,
underscoring a dramatic shift in the PC market toward
low-cost solutions. But Intel was quick to point out the value of the high-end 350- and 400-MHz Pentium II chips, while glossing over the marked departure from its long-standing business strategy of ever-higher processor speeds with the announcement to cache-less 266-MHz Celeron chip. |
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Intel sees demand in EuropeBy Reuters April 15, 1998 |
Intel (INTC) expects solid demand in
Europe for PCs based on its new high-speed computer
chips, despite the market's trend toward low-priced
machines. The Santa Clara, California-based company, which today unveiled Pentium II processors running at 350 and 400 MHz as well as the inexpensive Celeron chip for sub-$1,000 PCs, believes some segments of the PC market continue to seek more and more performance even as sales of computers priced under $1,000 boom. |
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Intel prospects lift NasdaqBy Reuters April 15, 1998 |
The Nasdaq Composite Index surged more
than 20 points to a new record today amid strength in
technology stocks after bellwether Intel (INTC) said its
business prospects were positive for the second half of
the year, traders said. "It's like a giant weight was lifted from the market," one trader added. |
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Today's Related Stories | ||
Intel debuts CeleronBy Robert Lemos April 16, 1998 |
PC chip giant Intel Corp. delivered a
mixed message on Wednesday during an event kicking off
its Celeron and faster Pentium II processors. "It [the Celeron] is superior to the Pentium processor in every way," said Paul Otellini, Intel (INTC) executive vice president, during a 35-minute presentation introducing the Celeron and the 350MHz and 400MHz versions of the Pentium II. |
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New Pentium II systems debutBy Michael Kanellos and Brooke Crothers April 15, 1998 |
New computers based on Intel's fastest
chips as well as the controversial Celeron processor
debuted today. At the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, Intel formally announced the Celeron chip for sub-$1,000 PCs and 350- and 400-MHz Pentium IIs. A raft of new systems are predicated on the microprocessor giant's latest chips. Approximately 40 computer vendors were on hand to demonstrate their wares. |
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Intel intros CPUs for business and homeBy Andy Santoni April 15, 1998 |
Just a day after reporting disappointing
revenues, Intel held a party here Wednesday morning to
introduce its fastest Pentium II processors and the first
Celeron processor for Basic PCs. As expected, the Pentium II processors run at 350 and 400 MHz and Celeron, designed under the code-name Covington, is a 266-MHz chip. |
Related Stories |
April 15, 1998 | ||
Special Coverage: Intel jobs reduction | ||
Intel
to cut workforce by 3,000
|
Intel Corp. said Tuesday it will
eliminate 3,000 jobs over the next six months -- the
high-flying company's first significant workforce
reduction in 12 years and the most dramatic sign yet of
tough times in the personal computer industry. Although Intel said it can shed that number of positions -- about 5 percent of its total -- without significant layoffs, the announcement capped a dismal first quarter for Silicon Valley's most powerful profit-making machine. The Santa Clara chip giant, which had warned of poor financial performance in an early March announcement, reported that its quarterly sales were down 7 percent from a year earlier and profits declined a whopping 36 percent. |
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Layoffs in Intel earnings wakeBy Michael Kanellos April 14, 1998 |
Intel (INTC) reported revenues of $6
billion and earnings of $1.3 billion or 72 cents a share,
a significant decline in profitability from last quarter
and the year-ago period. The chip giant also announced that close to 3,000 employees will be laid off largely through attrition from its workforce of some 65,000 over the next six months due to lower-than-expected demand for computer chips. This is the first employee cutback for the company since the mid-1980s when it made a strategic shift away from memory and into microprocessors. |
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Intel layoffs portend futureBy Dawn Yoshitake and Michael Kanellos April 14, 1998 |
Things are not turning out exactly the
way Intel (INTC) had planned. Overheated expectations, combined with a slowdown in sales and a decline in computer and processor prices, conspired to deliver one of the more dismal first quarters for the chip giant in a while. As a result, Intel will take the rare step of reducing its employment base by 3,000 people--close to 5 percent of its workforce. |
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Intel chip draws lukewarm supportBy Jim Davis April 14, 1998 |
On the eve of the announcement of
Intel's (INTC) first low-cost chip, support from PC
manufacturers for the Celeron seems tepid, with only a
handful expected to announce new systems upon the chip's
debut. Based on Pentium II technology, the Celeron is Intel's first chip designed specifically for use in low-cost personal computers priced at or below the $1,200 level, which the company refers to as "basic PCs." |
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Intel price cuts dueBy Michael Kanellos April 14, 1998 |
As it introduces the low-cost Celeron
and two high-end versions of the Pentium II, Intel (INTC)
will cut prices tomorrow on existing Pentium II
processors. A scheduled price action will accompany the unveiling of Celeron and the 350-MHz and 400-MHz Pentium IIs, according to an Intel spokesman. |
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Intel To Lay Off 3,000 In Wake Of Disappointing ResultsBy Kelly Spang April 14, 1998 |
Intel Corp. said it will slash 3,000
positions over the next six months in the wake of what
company executives called a "disappointing
quarter." Santa Clara based Intel said the head count reduction would come predominantly through attrition, but noted there would be "localized reductions in workforce." |
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Intel plans to cut 3,000 jobs after reporting lower Q1 resultsBy Mark Hachman April 14, 1998 |
Stung by lower OEM demand for the second
straight quarter, Intel Corp. here today announced it
suffered lower revenue and earnings for its first fiscal
quarter 1998, prompting planned workforce reduction of
3,000 employees. Intel reported net income of $1.3 billion on revenue of $6.0 billion, down 27% and 7%, respectively, from the fourth quarter 1997. Net income and revenue also fell 36% and 7%, respectively, from the same period a year ago. The net income for the quarter included a one-time charge of about $165 million for the acquisition of Chips and Technologies Inc. Earnings per share were $0.81, excluding the one-time charge. |
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Intel To Tighten Belt After 1Q Sales, Earnings DipBy Mark Hachman April 14, 1998 |
It's belt-tightening time at Intel Corp.
Stung by lower OEM demand for the second straight quarter, Intel suffered lower revenue and earnings for its first fiscal quarter 1998, prompting a planned layoff of 3,000 employees and a reduction in capital expenditures. 'We got ahead of ourselves in both our revenue expectations and our investments," said Andy Bryant, vice-president and chief financial officer for Intel, Santa Clara, Calif., in a conference call with analysts. |
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Intel to cut workforce, drop Pentium MMX desktops as revenues declineBy Andy Santoni April 14, 1998 |
Intel on Tuesday reported lower
first-quarter revenues and earnings, and said it will
reduce headcount by approximately 3,000 people over the
next six months. For the quarter, more than one-half of microprocessor revenue was generated from P6 micro-architecture products, led by the Pentium II processor, according to Paul Otellini, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Business Group. In fact, Otellini expects unit shipments of P6 processors to surpass those of Pentium MMX processors this week. |
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Intel to cut 3,000 after profits plummet 36 percentBy James Niccolai April 15, 1998 |
As expected, Intel on Tuesday reported
disappointing results for its first fiscal quarter,
prompting the chip maker to announce staff reductions of
as many as 3,000 employees. Intel's net income in the first quarter, which ended on March 28, tumbled 36 percent from $2 billion in the same period a year ago to $1.3 billion, the company said. |
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April 14, 1998 | ||
Intel's practices on trial
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A federal judge in Alabama has declared
that some of Intel Corp.'s most basic business practices
are in violation of U.S. antitrust law -- a surprising
ruling that places the firm in a delicate legal
predicament. The preliminary injunction by U.S. District Judge Edwin L. Nelson has only a minor immediate impact on the Santa Clara chip giant, forcing it to continue supplying technical information and products to a small Alabama computer company. But Nelson's 80-page ruling in a suit brought by Intergraph Corp. of Huntsville has profound implications: It accuses Intel, like its sometime ally Microsoft Corp., of using its dominance in one market sector to have unfair influence over another sector. |
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Intel loses ruling in Intergraph patent disputeBy Associated Press Staff Writer April 13, 1998 |
A federal judge has granted a measure of
relief to Intergraph Corp. in its battle against computer
chip giant Intel Corp. over patents, but antitrust issues
and claims for unspecified damages await a jury's
decision. U.S. District Judge Edwin Nelson's ruling Friday allows the Huntsville firm renewed access to advanced product information and marketing events with Intel that had been blocked during the lawsuit, said Intergraph CEO Jim Meadlock. |
Today's
Related Stories Related Stories Intergraph Blames Intel For $13.8 Million Loss Intergraph: Intel fray causes loss Despite suit, Intergraph wants its Pentium IIs |
Memorandum of Opinion and Preliminary Injunction Outline |
United States District
Court Northern District of Alabama Northeastern Division Intergraph Corporation, Plaintiff(s), vs. Intel Corporation, Defendant(s). |
Intergraph vs. Intel home page |
Cyrix Renames 686MX Chip, Targeting Intel's CeleronBy Mark Hachman April 14, 1998 |
Cyrix Corp. has renamed future versions
of its 686MX chip in a predatory attempt to cash in on
the reported weakness of Intel Corp.'s Celeron processor,
which Intel will introduce on Wednesday. Future versions of the 686MX processor will now be called the M II, a nomenclature deliberately designed to provoke comparisons to Intel's Pentium II, according to Cyrix executives. |
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Stealing thunder, Cyrix unveils low-cost M II microprocessorBy Lisa DiCarlo April 13, 1998 |
Cyrix Corp. beat Intel Corp. (INTC) to
the punch today by announcing the 300MHz M II 300, the
first in a new line of low-cost desktop microprocessors
that support a 100MHz bus. Intel will follow Wednesday with 350MHz and 400MHz Pentium II processors with a 100MHz bus. It will also introduce Celeron, a cacheless 266MHz Pentium II designed for low-cost desktop PCs. |
See Today's Related Stories |
AMD can do Pentium II, P6 chipBy Michael Kanellos April 13, 1998 |
It may not be straight, but the legal
path is clear for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to build
microprocessors that use the "P6" system bus, a
closely guarded Intel technology. Should AMD decide to follow this course, selling chips with a P6-style data pathway would make it easier and cheaper for AMD to get into the mainstream PC market because the chips would be largely interchangeable with Pentium IIs, analysts say. In the next two years, Pentium II-compatible computers are expected to make up the lion's share of the PC market. |
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Intel's fab cuts surprises industryBy Jack Robertson April 10, 1998 |
Intel Corp. here amazed industry
analysts by making a quick midcourse correction in fabs
to cut production costs for its new Celeron low-priced
Pentium II version. As part of the cost-cutting, Intel canceled or delayed major fab equipment orders totaling as much as $100 million with up to five vendors, according to industry reports. Analysts attributed the cuts to a quick switch to manufacture a profitable Celeron chip, not to any slowdown in microprocessor production. |
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Servers use fastest Pentium IIBy Stephanie Miles April 13, 1998 |
Major server manufacturers like IBM,
Hewlett-Packard, Gateway 2000, and NEC will announce new
Pentium II servers in conjunction with Intel's
introduction of new high-speed processors Wednesday,
offering more powerful systems at a lower price. Intel will announce new Pentium II chips running at 350 MHz and 400 MHz, in addition to a new 266-MHz chip called Celeron that's aimed at TV set-top boxes and sub-$1,000 PCs. |
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SGI cozies up to IntelBy Jim Davis April 13, 1998 |
Silicon Graphics (SGI) will begin to
move closer to chip giant Intel (INTC), as more details
of SGI's plan to revitalize itself emerge. Later this year, SGI will start making workstations that use Intel's next-generation "Slot 2" Pentium II processor, marking the company's transition from the use of its own processor designs to next-generation chip designs from Intel. |
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Today's Related Stories | ||
Cyrix shoots for 300 MHzBy Michael Kanellos April 13, 1998 |
Following closely on the heels of rival
AMD, Cyrix will release a version of its premier desktop
processor tomorrow running at what the company claims is
equivalent to a 300 MHz chip, while debuting a new brand
name for the chip. The M II is Cyrix's answer to the recently released 300-MHz K6 processor from AMD and the upcoming Celeron processor to be released Wednesday by Intel. |
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Cyrix Skips 266MHz, Goes Straight To 300MHz ChipsBy Kelly Spang April 13, 1998 |
Stepping up its CPU speed, Cyrix has
leaped over its recently announced 266 megahertz (MHz)
product and shifted volumes to a 300MHz processor. Less than a month ago, Cyrix, a subsidiary of National Semiconductor (company profile), unveiled its fastest 6x86MX processor -- a PR266 chip -- to be available in volume by the end of the second quarter. |
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Intergraph wins court order against IntelBy Margaret Kane April 13, 1998 |
An Alabama federal court has ordered
Intel Corp. (INTC) to continue to ship early production
chips and provide advanced product information to
Intergraph Corp. despite a lawsuit between the two
companies. Intergraph sued Intel in November of last year, claiming that the semiconductor giant was violating antitrust regulations and engaging in anti-competitive behavior. Specifically, Intergraph claimed Intel was using its dominant market position to coerce the Huntsville, Ala., workstation manufacturer to give up patent rights. |
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Intergraph Wins Injunction Against IntelBy Kora McNaughton April 13, 1998 |
Workstation vendor Intergraph won a small victory in its patent-infringement suit against Intel Friday, when a federal judge ordered the chip maker to provide Intergraph with product information and marketing support while the case is pending. | |
Intergraph wins court round in battle with IntelBy Alexander Wolfe April 13, 1998 |
Desktop-workstation vendor Intergraph
Corp. has won a big victory in its acrimonious legal
dispute with Intel Corp., with a federal judge issuing a
preliminary injunction that prohibits Intel from
"taking any action adversely affecting . . .
Intergraph," according to a copy of the decision
made public by Intergraph. "The court supported the contentions we made," said Jim Meadlock, chief executive officer of Intergraph (Huntsville, Ala.). |
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Intergraph Awarded Injunction Against Intel In Antitrust CaseBy Mark Hachman April 13, 1998 |
In a ruling that highlights the
continuing tension over Intel Corp.'s business practices,
a federal court has sided with a customer who accused the
chip maker of violating U.S. antitrust laws. On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ordered Intel to provide technical documentation, chip samples, and an allocation of production microprocessors to Intergraph Corp. of Huntsville. Intergraph accused Intel of cutting off the company after the two firms got into a cross-licensing dispute. |
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Intergraph wins Intel injunctionBy Dan Goodin April 13, 1998 |
Intergraph (INGR) said today that it won
a preliminary injunction against Intel (INTC) as part of
its federal lawsuit accusing the giant chipmaker of
patent infringement and antitrust violations. Intergraph said in a news release that a U.S. federal district court in Alabama on Friday prohibited Intel "from terminating Intergraph's rights as a 'strategic customer in current and future programs,' or from otherwise taking any action adversely affecting Intel's business relationship with Intergraph." |
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April 13, 1998 | ||
AMD can do Pentium II, P6 chipBy Michael Kanellos April 10, 1998 |
It may not be straight, but the legal
path is clear for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to build
microprocessors that use the "P6" system bus, a
closely guarded Intel technology. If AMD decided to follow this course, selling chips with a P6-style data pathway would make it easier and cheaper for AMD to get into the mainstream PC market because the chips would be largely interchangeable with Pentium IIs, analysts say. In the next two years, Pentium II-compatible computers are expected to make up the lion's share of the PC market. |
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Intel drags the PC industry to 100-MHz terrainBy David Lammers and Ron Wilson April 13, 1998 |
Intel Corp. will seek to redefine the
desktop PC in two weeks when it rolls out processors and
a core-logic chip set that for the first time push its
external CPU bus to 100 MHz. But industry watchers fear
that the associated PC-100 memory specification will
leave the pack of DRAM, module and motherboard makers
eating Intel's dust as they race to keep up. The first iteration of the 100-MHz system bus will be in the form of Intel's 440BX chip set, a two-chip solution that will support up to 1 Gbyte of memory and two processors. The core logic is expected to run $7 to $10 more than the 66-MHz 440LX chip set for Pentium II systems. Intel is expected to formally announce the 440BX, along with its 350- and 400-MHz Pentium II processors. |
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Intel Cuts Production CostsBy Jack Robertson April 13, 1998, Semiconductor Business News |
Intel amazed industry analysts by making
a quick midcourse correction in fabs to cut production
costs for its new Celeron low-priced Pentium II version. As part of the cost-cutting, Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel (company profile) canceled or delayed major fab-equipment orders totaling as much as $100 million with up to five vendors, according to industry reports. Analysts attributed the cuts to a quick switch to manufacture a profitable Celeron chip, not to any slowdown in microprocessor production. |