x86 Headline NewsFor the week of April 27, 1998 |
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Week of April 27, 1998 |
Older News |
May 1, 1998 | ||
Stability problems nag new AMD K6 rolloutBy Charles Cooper April 29, 1998 |
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. plans to
roll out its newest microprocessor in late May, but one
analyst says lingering technical problems could mar the
introduction. Acer Labs, which is making a socket 7 logic chip set for the upcoming K6-3D from AMD, is experiencing difficulty keeping systems stable when they run at 100MHz, according to Ashok Kumar, of Piper Jaffray. |
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Intel's salad days are looking a bit wiltedBy Jim Louderback April 30, 1998 |
What sounds green and crunchy but is
actually slow and pricey? Give up? It's Intel's new
Celeron processor. Despite having a name better suited to Bon Appetit than The Microprocessor Report, Intel's new processor pretends to offer Pentium II performance at prices suitable for an $800 computer. But if you're thinking of buying a bunch of these Celeron-based machines, don't. This chip was wilted even before it left the shop. |
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The Intel effectBy Om Malik April 30, 1998 |
In December, the 3D-graphics industry
was filled with anticipation for the i740--the first
3D-graphics chip from Intel Corp. The impending launch of the chip was seen as the end of an era. Analysts thought Intel's entry would kill off small chipmakers who had made a nice living selling into the desktop PC market. So far, Intel's offering has had no perceptible impact on such established players in the business as ATI Technologies, but do not count Intel out as yet. |
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Czechs chasing new Intel plantBy Reuters April 30, 1998 |
The Czech government yesterday approved
investment incentives for companies that invest a minimum
of $25 million into new manufacturing projects, with the
specific intention of wooing chipmaking giant Intel. The package includes five-year tax holidays, an acceleration of the write-offs on depreciation, specified duty-free technology imports, duty-free zones, and state subsidies for training, according to Industry and Trade Minister Karel Kuhnl. |
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AMD Readies For Intel BattleBy Kelly Spang April 30, 1998 |
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will go
head-to-head with Intel's Pentium II starting May 28,
when AMD rolls out its next-generation K6 chip. Previously called the K6-3D, AMD (company profile) Thursday renamed the processor the K6-2, but still plans to incorporate the company's 3-D NOW technology. At its May debut, the K6-2 will be running at around 300 MHz and increase in speed in the second half of the year, according to a product road map chart presented at Thursday's annual shareholder meeting. |
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ADI thermal device uses embedded diode on Mobile Pentium IIBy Stephan Ohr April 30, 1998 |
With the introduction of the ADM1021,
Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) becomes one of the first
manufacturers to take advantage of the "thermal
diode" embedded on the Intel Mobile Pentium II chip.
The technique, which uses temperature-dependent
base-emitter voltage (Vbe), provides an accurate,
low-cost way to gauge MPU temperature. The ADM1021 exploits the negative temperature coefficient of a diode (or the base-emitter voltage of a transistor) operated at constant current. By running two different currents through a diode or transistor on the microprocessor chip and measuring the change in voltage, the ADM1021 can calculate the temperature. The calculation is reported over a two-wire serial interface that's compatible with System Management Bus (SMBus), used for smart batteries. |
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333-MHz Pentium II PC in fridgeBy Jim Davis April 30, 1998 |
If a Japanese start-up has its way,
people will be able to get Internet access and keep
perishables fresh with the same appliance. Why you might desire this kind of device, however, is a whole other matter. Japan's V Sync Technology is hoping to shake up the bland world of kitchen appliances by combining a 333-MHz Pentium II processor with a refrigerator. A prototype unit places a desktop PC with 128MB of memory and a 3.2GB hard disk drive on top of the refrigerator, according to a report in the online edition of Nikkei Business Publications. |
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April 29, 1998 | ||
Report says FTC to bring antitrust suit against IntelBy Margaret Kane April 28, 1998 |
The Federal Trade Commission is
preparing a lawsuit against Intel Corp. (INTC) accusing
the company of antitrust violations, according to a
report in USA Today. Citing sources close to the investigation, the paper today said the suit will center on Intel's practice of withholding information about its processors from companies it is fighting with. Intel officials were not immediately available for comment. A spokeswoman for the FTC said the commission could neither confirm nor deny an investigation. |
See Today's Related Stories |
AMD looks
for extra cash
|
AMD has announced that it hopes to raise
an additional $400 million on the US markets. The offering was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday and consists of convertible subordinated notes which are convertible into the companys common stock. The offering, said AMD, will be pursuant to a prospectus supplement and the companys $1 billion shelf registration statement. |
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Digital Must Select Alpha Trustee, FTC SaysBy Mark Hachman April 28, 1998 |
Having freed the Alpha microprocessor
from Intels fabs, the Federal Trade Commission is
moving to protect the chip from the worlds largest
PC maker, Compaq Computer Corp. The agency has told Digital Equipment Corp., which owns the chip, that it must select a trustee to monitor all talks involving licensing Alpha to other manufacturers. If a deal doesnt meet with the FTCs approval, the government has reserved the right to replace the trustee and assume control of the negotiations. |
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Who makes the best gaming chip?By Loyd Case April 29, 1998 |
Space Cadet, by science-fiction pioneer
Robert Heinlein, is one of my favorite books. In the
story, the powers-that-be inflict a series of tests on
the would-be astronaut. One test involved operating a
complex machine. But after reading and rereading the
instructions several times, it dawns on our hero that
successful operation of this particular machine is
impossible. When he confronts the instructor, he's just
told to move on. Confronting CPU choices this year, I feel like that astronaut wannabe. Every time I think I have finally made the right choice, another wrinkle pops up. So I thought I'd cover what will happen on the CPU front in the next few months and solicit opinions. That's right, it's audience participation time once again. |
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HP paves software path toward MercedBy Alexander Wolfe April 28, 1998 |
Paving a software path toward Intel's
upcoming 64-bit microprocessor, Hewlett-Packard Co. today
disclosed that it has licensed a Merced-capable version
of its Unix-like HP-UX operating system to Hitachi, NEC
and Stratus Computer. HP's operating system, called HP-UX on IA-64, is expected to be available at the same time Intel ships Merced in late 1999. (HP worked jointly with Intel to define the instruction set used in the IA-64 architecture, which is the basis for Merced.) |
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Apple billboard defacedBy Lisa M. Bowman April 28, 1998 |
The words "Think
Disillusioned" replaced "Think Different"
on an Apple Computer Inc. billboard in the Silicon Valley
Tuesday, after a vandal, or vandals, defaced the ad. And the rainbow-colored apple that's been the company's trademark for years was whittled down to a creepy grinning skull. The image of the Dalai Lama on the billboard remained unharmed. |
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Today's Related Stories | ||
FTC suit against Intel inevitable, analysts sayBy James Niccolai April 28, 1998 |
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
declined to confirm reports Tuesday that it plans to
subject Intel to a two-pronged antitrust suit, and
industry analysts and an antitrust lawyer were divided
over whether or not such a case is likely to be brought. Intel makes an estimated 90 percent of the chips that power the world's personal computers, which last year brought it revenues of $25.1 billion. Its market share already has attracted the attention of the FTC, which is now considering two antitrust lawsuits against the chip giant, according to reports published in USA Today. |
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April 28, 1998 | ||
CalPERS: Shake up AMD boardBy Michael Kanellos April 27, 1998 |
The California Public Employees'
Retirement System (CalPERS) sent out a letter to fellow
Advanced Micro Devices shareholders asking them to vote
for a resolution calling for the replacement of chairman
and CEO Jerry Sanders with an independent chairman of the
board. The letter previews the showdown that will likely take place between CalPERS, which owns 500,000 shares of AMD stock, and the colorful and the sometimes controversial Sanders at the AMD stockholder's meeting April 30 in New York. |
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How to spot Pentium II fakesBy Stephanie Miles April 27, 1998 |
Suspicious PC owners who believe they
may have been sold a fake 300-MHz Pentium II processor
can now run a simple test to find out whether they've
been duped. The test, devised by German publication c't, indicates whether a system is running a 266- or 300-MHz Intel chip. |
Related Stories |
Siemens Picks Merced-Solaris Combo For Enterprise ServersBy Kelly Spang Apr. 27, 1998 |
Siemens Nixdorf Information Systems Inc.
is the latest OEM to reveal its intentions to deliver
enterprise-class servers based on Intel Corp.'s Merced
chip. In addition, the San Jose-based systems maker said it would not use its own Reliant Unix operating systems on these 64 bit-Intel servers, opting instead to run Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Solaris. |
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Dell waits on Intel "Mendocino" chipBy Reuters April 27, 1998 |
Dell Computer (DELL) chief financial
officer Tom Meredith said that PC demand is
"robust" and that the competitive PC landscape
is "rational." Meredith told a Hambrecht & Quist technology conference that as PC market share continues to consolidate among the top five players, there is still an opportunity for Dell to gain more market share. |
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April 27, 1998 | ||
AMD close
to sell-off
|
A source close to AMDs plans told
The Register today how the company will be disposed of. According to the senior executive, AMD will be divided into three parts, as CEO Jerry Sanders nears retirement. The K6 chip part, the source said, is likely to end up in IBM Microelectronics hands. The profitable and lucrative networking business will be spun off as a separate unit. And the third, logic unit, is likely to be sold to the biggest bidder. 3Com is the favourite for the third part. |
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Acid
Test
|
For more than four years, c't has
reported about fake processors being sold in Germany in
ever changing varieties. Innumerable users have asked us:
"Is there a software with which to detect the
fraud?" and we have always had to say there wasn't.
Now, however, we are able to make the impossible
possible: A c't test program exposes the current fake
Pentium II varieties. At present, forgers specialize in Pentium II with 266Mhz which they offer as 300MHz models either with a made up labels or in mock plastic casings. Various retailers sell these manipulated processors - in most cases even without knowing. The forgers once again take advantage of the fact that many processors can be run at a faster clock rate for at least a certain amount of time. This is because chips of the same type with different speeds are normally produced in the same lot and sorted afterwards; in the test procedure, the manufacturers want to be safe and allow for a |
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400MHz
socket seven by year end
|
National Semiconductor subsidiary Cyrix
has said it will have a 400MHz M2 processor using a
100MHz bus by the year end but will maintain socket seven
compatibility for the whole of 1998 and as long into 1999
as it can. That news came as AMD responded to Intels price cuts last Thursday by cutting its own K6 prices. (Err... reported here last week). |
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FTC acts to ensure a supply of Alpha microprocessorsBy George Leopold, Ron Wilson and Rick Boyd-Merritt April 24, 1998 |
The Federal Trade Commission will
require multiple production sources for Digital Equipment
Corp.'s Alpha microprocessor technology as part of a
settlement last week that clears the way for Intel Corp.
to acquire Digital's IC manufacturing operations. Intel
and Digital said they plan to complete the acquisition as
soon as possible. In deciding not to block the deal, the FTC said it will require Digital to license Alpha technology to Intel rivals Advanced Micro Devices, Korea's Samsung Electronics and IBM Corp. Digital would be allowed to choose other companies instead with FTC approval. The FTC said that "Digital's Alpha microprocessor represents the greatest technological challenge to Intel, and stands as the most significant threat to Intel's continued market dominance." |
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New AMD chip to wait for fast busBy Michael Kanellos April 24, 1998 |
The K6 3D processor, Advanced Micro
Devices' next great hope for market share, will debut at
the E3 conference May 28, but the chip's full potential
may be delayed because of part problems. The K6 3D--which will be introduced at speeds of 266 MHz and 300 MHz, along with systems that incorporate it--will feature better "floating point" performance for faster graphical computing, as well as a new set of 3D instructions. But the biggest improvement will be its ability to talk to other components in the computer at a higher speed with a faster "bus." |
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FTC
strikes blow for Alpha
|
The US Federal Trade Commission will
allow a deal between Intel and Digital to go ahead, but
not without safeguards. A ruling released late yesterday means that a settlement between the two companies will go ahead but could be reviewed if other companies, including AMD, fail in their bids to license elements of Alpha technology. The FTC also wants IBM and other semiconductor companies to license the Alpha technology. But it is a moot point whether Big Blue is interested in so doing. |
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Overstocking
led to Intels Q fall
|
Senior executives at Intel admitted
yesterday there were caught with excess stock but said
the company was introducing safeguards to prevent that
happening in the future. Heavyweights at the Santa Clara company also selectively leaked details of up and coming processors in an attempt to reassure the markets that all was well. The company also said that sales of chips into the Indian and Chinese markets would assist it in the future. |
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IDT ramps
up Winchip in Oregon
|
Centaur-IDT has started large scale
production of its WinChip CPU at its eight-inch fab in
Oregon. The company had manufactured small volumes at its
R&D centre in San Jose, but its Hillsboro fab will
produce up to 90 per cent of the companys capacity. IDT also has an agreement with IBM, like AMD and Cyrix, to produce microprocessors, and some of its processors will be manufactured by Big Blue towards the end of this year. |
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Pentium II Outpaces AMD K6 In MarchBy Roger C. Lanctot April 27, 1998 |
Prospects for Intel's Pentium II
processors picked up in March as PCs based on the PII
architecture outsold systems based on Advanced Micro
Devices' K6 microprocessors for the first time since
December, according to market research from PC Data. PII-based PCs represented 30.1 percent of PCs sold in retail stores in March, up from 22.9 percent in February, while AMD K6-based systems captured 28.6 percent of sales, down from 31.2 percent in February, reported PC Data, in Reston, Va. |