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This Week's x86 Headlines
All other stories and details below
Electronic Buyer's News FTC Lowers The Boom On Intel
After Months Of Investigation, FTC Decides To Charge Intel With Violating Antitrust Laws.
C/Net Intel reveals FTC defense
C/Net Intergraph CEO details Intel charges
EE Times Merced's dark cloud gives silver lining to Digital's Alpha
Computer Reseller News Xeon Tapped To Pick Up Slack

 

x86 Weekly News

Collected By Robert R. Collins

Week of June 8, 1998

Older News

June 12, 1998

Intergraph CEO details Intel charges

By Michael Kanellos

June 11, 1998
C/Net

Intergraph CEO Jim Meadlock knew he was in a tough spot: His company was trying to sell Intel-based workstations even as the chipmaking giant was trying to persuade customers to reject Intergraph, he says.

"They went in and said, 'You can buy that from anyone but Intergraph. If you buy it from Intergraph we won't fund it [through subsidies]," Meadlock said in an interview today with CNET NEWS.COM. "They went to one of our customers we introduced them to and took one of our competitors in."

 

Turnaround may be distant, as NatSemi announces red ink
Cyrix still looks the most promising prospect for the company

June 12, 1998
The Register

NatSemi has reported a $212.4 million Q4 loss, more or less in line with market expectations, and although it says orders have continued to fall in the current quarter, the rate of decrease has started to slow down. As good new goes, this is pretty desperate stuff.

The loss for the year was $98.6 million, and the reason the more recent figures havebeen whacked so badly is the Asian crisis, high inventories in PC channels and production difficulties at Cyrix (the NatSemi subsidiary formerly known as 'fabless'). The parent was hit by drops in order for mid-priced components, as sub-$1,000 PCs took off, and says its technology has also fallen behind in network adapters.

 

TSMC to fab IC Works timing generators

June 11, 1998
Semiconductor Business News

IC Works Inc. here today announced a foundry agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) to offer frequency timing generators for Intel Corp.'s BX chip set.

The San Jose-based company said the pact will allows it to offer spread-spectrum frequency generators (SSFG) in volume for PC motherboards using Intel's 440BX products.

 
June 11, 1998

Xeon goes copper with IBM in the frame
Deschutes servers will speed up by 40 per cent

June 10, 1998
The Register

Copper technology is set to arrive in Xeon servers towards the end of this month. A source close to IBM's plans today confirmed that it will introduce its own technology into machines at the motherboard level.

Last year, IBM announced a breakthrough technology which allowed it to effectively weld silicon to copper, making the speed of the data throughput much faster. When it announced the technology breakthrough, previously revealed here, its partner in the Power PC consortium, Motorola, followed up with its own announcement.

 

Figuring out Intel's road map

By Lisa DiCarlo

June 10, 1998
PC Week Online

If you're confused by Intel Corp.'s 32-bit road map, join the crowd.

Since the Santa Clara, Calif., company decided in the fall to segment its processors for specific markets, such as portables, low-cost PCs, mainstream PCs and servers, terms such as "frontside bus," "backside cache" and "Slot 1/Slot 2" suddenly became important for system buyers to understand.

Why?

 

Intel's graphics chip pricing: fair or foul?

By Michael Kanellos

June 10, 1998
C/Net

Is Intel coercive or not? The latest debate over the character of the chipmaker's business dealings centers on its foray into the graphics chip business.

On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission filed an action against the Santa Clara, California-based company for unfair business practices. But specific examples of misconduct, especially allegedly predatory pricing, more often than not prove elusive, according to analysts.

 

Intel CEO denies graphics chip dumping charges

By Rob Guth and Terho Uimonen

June 11, 1998
InfoWorld Electric

The newly appointed CEO of Intel, in an interview here Wednesday night, shot down recent reports that his company is selling its graphics chips at deep discounts in order to gain market share and reduce inventories of its first-generation graphics accelerator chip.

"[Bull]," said Intel President and CEO Craig Barrett when asked about charges that his company is selling the i740 chip at below cost.

 
Ongoing Intel/FTC Drama

Intel rivals find little in complaint

By Robert Lemos

June 10, 1998
ZD Net News

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's complaint against Intel may spell relief for PC makers who use its chips, but offers little solace to the company's rivals, said industry execs and analysts.

"They are attacking the symptoms of Intel's dominance rather than the core problem," said Mike Feibus, principal analyst with Mercury Research. "They are not addressing the issue of why Intel has over 80 percent of the market."

 

Intel appeals Intergraph injunction

By PC Week Online Staff

June 10, 1998
PC Week Online

Intel Corp. on Tuesday appealed a judge's preliminary injunction in its ongoing legal dispute with Intergraph Corp., according to Wednesday's edition of the Wall Street Journal.

The appeal was filed in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington one day after the Federal Trade Commission announced an investigation of Intel (INTC) based partly on the Intergraph case.

 
June 10, 1998

Intel reveals FTC defense

By Dan Goodin

June 9, 1998
C/Net

A brief filed yesterday by Intel in its ongoing litigation with Intergraph could be a guide to interpreting the legal position the chipmaker will take in its case with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The brief argues that a lower court judge erred in numerous ways when he ruled in favor of Intergraph in its antitrust and patent infringement suit against Intel. Chief among the errors: neither Intergraph nor U.S. District Judge Edwin Nelson showed that Intel's dealings with the Huntsville, Alabama, workstation maker harmed competition, as required by federal antitrust law.

 

Intel appeals preliminary injunction

By Reuters

June 10, 1998
ZD Net News

In an antitrust case separate from the one involving the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Intel Corp. has filed an appeal denying it held a monopoly or harmed a competitor, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Intel filed the appeal on Tuesday in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington seeking to overturn a preliminary injunction issued last April in a lawsuit filed by Intergraph Corp.

 

Intel appeals to another judge
It's not interested in graphics sub-systems, chip goliath claims

June 10 1998
The Register

Intel has formally lodged an appeal against an injunction granted to Intergraph in a continuing legal battle to fight allegations of anti-competitive practices.

US reports said that it appealed to the Washington Circuit Court and filed a 64 page document claiming that an Alabama judge had erred by suggesting Intergraph and Intel were competitors. Intel's case is that because it doesn't make graphic subsystems, it cannot be accused of being a monopoly.

 

Watch the FTC media conference in RealVideo.

June 08, 1998
ZD Net News

FTC Charges Intel

Why is the Federal Trade Commission charging Intel with antitrust violations? William Baer, director of the FTC Bureau of Competition, spells out the government's case.

 

FTC case will have little impact on Intel business

By Will Wade

June 10, 1998
Semiconductor Business News

The pending antitrust case against Intel Corp. will have little impact upon the chipmaker's daily operations, according to both the company and analysts. And despite the strong allegation in Monday's official Federal Trade Commission filing (see June 8 story), Intel's share prices have proven steady as Wall Street affirms its opinion of the world's largest semiconductor company.

"The FTC case will have no impact whatsoever on the company," said Jonathan Joseph, semiconductor analyst at NationsBanc Montgomery Securities. "There is no worst-case scenario."

 

FTC Contends Intel Acted Unfairly in Relationships with Some OEMs

Mark Hachman

June 9, 1998
Electronic Buyer's News

The federal government yesterday charged Intel Corp. with illegally using its monopoly power in relationships with three OEMs: Compaq Computer Corp., Digital Equipment Corp., and Intergraph Corp.

As expected, the agency contended that Intel illegally cut off the supply of technical information and threatened to cut off a supply of microprocessors when the three OEMs attempted to enforce certain patent rights against Intel or computer manufacturers favored by Intel. At this time, the government's case does not include a broader examination of Intel's practices regarding emerging markets such as graphics chips or audio.

 

Barrett downplays FTC suit

By Reuters

June 9, 1998
C/Net

Intel's chief executive said the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust lawsuit would not have much effect on its business or any financial impact in the marketplace.

"I don't think this lawsuit has much at all to do with competition in the marketplace, so I don't think it's going to have much effect on our business," CEO Craig Barrett told a news conference here.

 

Merced delay does matter, but be flexible

By Aaron Goldberg

June 9, 1998
ZD Net News

The delay in Merced availability has been pooh-poohed and sloughed off by Intel, its OEMs and the analyst community at large. While the reason behind the delay is not a game-breaker -- and Intel has the skills to solve the problem -- the delay does directly impact IT professionals.

Although Merced availability is still far off -- its 1999 release date was pushed back to the year 2000 -- the reality is that Merced is the architecture that will place PC-based systems in a position of power. It will allow PCs to vie with any proprietary or Unix system on an application-performance basis.

 
June 9, 1998
Intel Anti-trust Special Edition: The Accusations

FTC Lowers The Boom On Intel
After Months Of Investigation, FTC Decides To Charge Intel With Violating Antitrust Laws.

Mark Hachman

June 9, 1998
Electronic Buyer's News

The federal government today charged Intel Corp. with illegally using its monopoly power in relationships with three OEMs: Compaq Computer Corp., Digital Equipment Corp., and Integraph Corp.

As expected, the agency contended that Intel illegally cut off the supply of technical information and threatened to cut off a supply of microprocessors when the three OEMs attempted to enforce those patents against Intel or against other OEMs Intel favored.

"Intel has acted illegally. It has used its monopoly power to impede innovation and stifle competition," said William J. Baer, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said in a statement today.

 

Intel accused of abusing monopoly
FTC applies antitrust laws to supplier-customer relationship

By Tom Quinlan and Rory J. O'Connor

June 9, 1998
San Jose Mercury News

The Federal Trade Commission filed a widely anticipated antitrust complaint against Intel Corp. on Monday with an unusual legal basis: It seeks to take laws designed to govern competition among rivals and apply them to the relationship between a supplier and its customers.

The straightforward, 11-page complaint alleges that Intel abused its microprocessor monopoly to manhandle three computer companies -- Compaq Computer Corp., Digital Equipment Corp. and Intergraph Corp. At first glance, it is a powerful indictment of the hardware half of the personal computer industry's ``Wintel'' duopoly, coming on the heels of last month's antitrust suit against software giant Microsoft Corp.

 

Text of FTC Complaint against Intel

In the Matter of Intel Corporation - Docket 9288 - Complaint

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act, and by virtue of the authority vested in it by said Act, the Federal Trade Commission, having reason to believe that Intel Corporation (“Intel”) has engaged in a pattern of conduct, as described herein, that violates Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. ß 45, and it appearing to the Commission that a proceeding in respect thereof would be in the public interest, hereby issues its complaint, stating its charges as follows:

 

FTC votes to sue Intel

By Michael Kanellos

June 8, 1998
C/Net

The Federal Trade Commission voted today to sue Intel, charging the company with using its market dominance to hurt rivals and hinder competition in the computing industry.

The agency listed PC leader Compaq Computer as a company that allegedly was injured by Intel's business practices. It added that the chipmaker had violated antitrust law in dealings with two other computer manufacturers: Digital Equipment, and Intergraph.

 

U.S. hits Intel with antitrust charges

By Alexander Wolfe

June 9, 1998
EE Times

Confiming long-standing reports of a pending antitrust suit, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Monday charged Intel Corp. with using "its monopoly power to cement its dominance over the microprocessor market."

Specifically, the FTC cited Intel for illegally withholding technical information from three companies: Digital Equipment Corp., Intergraph Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp. The FTC said Intel (Santa Clara, Calif.) sought to punish the three for refusing to license key patents on favorable terms.

 

Intel retaliated against Compaq, Digital and Intergraph, FTC contends

By Lisa DiCarlo

June 8, 1998
PC Week Online

The Federal Trade Commission today charged that Intel Corp. violated federal antitrust law by denying three customers access to technical information after the companies separately sought to enforce patents against Intel.

The three companies named in the FTC's case are Intergraph Corp., Digital Equipment Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp.

 

Compaq, PB dragged into FTC-Intel case
Federal Trade Commission claims Intel used muscle to stifle innovation

June 9, 1998
The Register

The Intel Corporation has responded to an 11 page allegation from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it engaged in anti-trust action by claiming that the government department does not understand the law. And, like the DoJ case against Microsoft, Compaq is now part of the fray.

The FTC decided late Monday to charge that Intel used its power to withdraw information from Intergraph, Digital and Compaq after all three companies refused to license patents to the chip giant. According to the charge sheets, Intel responded by refusing to give all three companies essential information they needed to develop future products and technologies.

 

Intel, Intergraph in war of words

By Michael Kanellos

June 8, 1998
C/Net

Intel and one of its chief antagonists, Intergraph, wasted little time in waging a public war of words over the government's decision to pursue legal action against the chip behemoth today.

Intel said the Federal Trade Commission is venturing into untested legal waters as regulators voted to press charges against the chipmaker for anticompetitive behavior.

 

Intel Watch

San Jose Mercury News

Past stories in the San Jose Mercury News archives.  
Intel Anti-trust Special Edition: Industry Response

Intel calls FTC action 'mistaken,' while Digital distances itself

By Lisa DiCarlo

June 8, 1998
PC Week Online

It looks like another high-tech behemoth is going to the mat with federal regulators.

Intel Corp. this afternoon said that the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust complaint, filed today, is "based upon a mistaken interpretation of the law and the facts."

The Santa Clara, Calif., company said it will appeal to the federal courts if necessary.

 

Intel Chief Plays Down Impact Of FTC Suit

By Reuters

June 9, 1998
Techweb

Intel's CEO said Tuesday the Federal TradeCommission's antitrust lawsuit against the world's largest computer chip maker would not have much effect on its business or any financial impact in the marketplace.

"I don't think this lawsuit has much at all to do with competition in the marketplace, so I don't think it's going to have much effect on our business," said CEO Craig Barrett at a news conference here in Tokyo.

 

Intel's response to FTC complaint

The following is Intel's response to the Federal Trade Commission's complaint regarding its business practices:

Intel Corporation said today that it believes the Federal Trade Commission’s administrative complaint before an FTC Administrative Law Judge is based upon a mistaken interpretation of the law and the facts.  

Intergraph's response to FTC complaint against Intel

The following is Intergraph's response to the Federal Trade Commission's complaint against Intel:

Intergraph Corporation today made the following statement in response to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s filing of a lawsuit against Intel Corporation.  

Intel refutes FTC claims of antitrust violations

By Will Wade

June 8, 1998
Semiconductor Business News

Intel Corp. here today refuted the Federal Trade Commission's allegations that it engaged in unfair business practices by withholding technical information from three large computer companies. Intel's response came hours after the FTC announced it was suing the microprocessor giant for violating antitrust laws--a move that has been widely anticipated for weeks.

Immediately after the suit was announced, Intel issued a statement asserting that the government's case is based on a flawed interpretation of both the law and the relevant facts. The FTC's action did little to phase Wall Street, however, as the company's stock dipped only $0.50 to $69.32 from last week's closing price.

 

Intel willing to appeal FTC antitrust ruling, CEO says

By Rob Guth and Andy Santoni

June 9, 1998
InfoWorld Electric

Intel's president and CEO on Tuesday said he disagreed with the premise of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's antitrust complaint, made Monday against his company, and said he is willing to appeal the final ruling in U.S. federal court.

Speaking here Tuesday, Intel President and CEO Craig Barrett and attendant company officials outlined their stance on the FTC complaint that declared Intel had withheld vital technology information from three computer vendors.

 
Intel Anti-trust Special Edition: News Analysis

What's at heart of the FTC case

By Michael Kanellos

June 8, 1998
C/Net

Three computers makers are at the heart of the Federal Trade Commission's case against Intel.

The FTC is alleging that Intel has used its monopoly position in an unlawful manner against Digital, Intergraph and Compaq.

 

Intel and Microsoft differ
Cases diverge procedurally

By Tom Quinlan

June 9, 1998
San Jose Mercury News

For most of the past 18 years, Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have stood together -- as the twin towers of the PC industry, controlling today a huge share of their respective markets. On Monday, the two came together in a new arena -- as the subjects of federal complaints that they've abused monopoly power.

On the surface, the cases against the Redmond, Wash., software behemoth and the Santa Clara microprocessor giant sound much the same. In truth, they are different procedurally and in terms of their importance to the companies. These differences underscore deeper contrasts between the two halves of what's become known as the ``Wintel'' duopoly.

 

Analysis: FTC should keep Intel under close scrutiny

By Dan Gillmor

June 9, 1998
San Jose Mercury News

AS THE other half of the Wintel duopoly heads into battle with antitrust authorities, some questions:

Does Intel Corp., which was charged Monday with anti-competitive business practices, treat its competitors and customers harshly? It does.

Will the Federal Trade Commission's case against Intel hold up in court? Maybe not.

 

Legal experts say FTC's action will set precedents

By Will Rodger

June 9, 1998
Inter@ctive Week

Few antitrust cases are straightforward, and Intel Corp.'s case is no exception.

According to papers filed here Monday by the Federal Trade Commission, Intel has violated U.S. antitrust laws by trying to coerce computer makers into handing over their best technical ideas free of charge. In exchange, Intel would continue to supply technical information needed to build computers compatible with its microprocessors.

 

Suit hits Intel at vulnerable time

By Tom Quinlan

June 9, 1998
San Jose Mercury News

In just nine short months, the Federal Trade Commission's investigation of Intel has dwindled from the darkest cloud on the chip giant's horizon to a minor shower.

Last September, when the Santa Clara company first revealed the FTC probe, it stood at the apex of one of the world's premier growth industries, virtually free from competitive challenge. Today, Intel's money machine is sputtering amid turmoil in the personal computer industry.

 

Intel down but not out

By Suzanne Galante

June 8, 1998
C/Net

Intel had another weight loaded onto its already depressed stock today as the Federal Trade Commission decided to sue the company.

But at least in the short term, the chipmaker's stock shouldn't be hurt solely by the action, because it came as no surprise, some analysts said. Likewise, Microsoft's stock has held up fairly well despite the antitrust lawsuit filed against it last month.

 

No Intel smoking gun--yet

By Dan Goodin

June 8, 1998
C/Net

In sharp contrast to a separate antitrust action filed last month against another PC industry giant, the Federal Trade Commission's complaint against Intel contains few dramatic revelations or previously unknown allegations.

In its lawsuit against Microsoft, the Justice Department included numerous "smoking guns" that provided specific details of alleged anticompetitive behavior. In one internal memorandum, for example, a Microsoft executive suggested the company should try to "kill cross-platform Java by grow[ing] the polluted Java market," an exhibit that helps bolster the government's case that Microsoft engaged in a pattern of illegal behavior.

 

Intel Complaint Stretches Antitrust Law

By Mary Mosquera

June 9, 1998
TechWeb

Intel shot back at the Federal Trade Commission Monday, saying its antitrust suit against the global chip maker was "based upon a mistaken interpretation of the law and the facts."

"Intel intends to work through the administrative complaint process and, if necessary, appeal to a federal court. We believe that ultimately that process will conclude that our actions are lawful," said Intel's general counsel, F. Thomas Dunlap.

 
Intel Anti-trust Special Edition: Other x86-related News

Cyrix settles Creative action out of court
Backs off from compatibility claims for MediaGX

June 9, 1998
The Register

A legal spat between Cyrix and Creative Technology has been settled out of court, with the former company forced to stop using Creative's software drivers or to make claims that its Media GX chips are SoundBlaster compatible.

Creative sued both Cyrix and Compaq, which used the Media GX chip in some of its PCs after Cyrix claimed that its Media GX chipset was compatible with the SoundBlaster audio technology it makes.

 

Xeon Power Lessens Effect Of Merced Delay

By Tom Davey with Mary Hayes

June 8, 1998
InformationWeek

Customers weary of the demands of constant server upgrades said they are not disturbed by the delay of Merced, Intel's highly touted 64-bit chip. With the launch of its Xeon processor on June 29, Intel may be offering quite enough power to satisfy many users' existing and near-term needs.

Next week at PC Expo, vendors will demonstrate their first Xeon systems and provide preferred customers with technical and benchmarking data. Among the companies to join as participants in the Xeon rollout are Hitachi and Toshiba, which will introduce their first servers for U.S. buyers at the show.

 

Exclusive: Intel To Update Processor Pricing

By Mark Hachman

June 8, 1998
Electronic Buyers' News

Intel is scheduled to update its desktop processor pricing Monday, according to confidential company road maps provided by Intel's customers.

The 400-, 350-, 333-, 300-, 266-, and 233-MHz Pentium II will sell for $722, $519, $412, $305, $198, and $198, respectively. Pricing for the 300- and 266-MHz Celeron processors without Level 2 cache will be $159 and $106, respectively.

 

Intel ships new low-cost chip

By Michael Kanellos

June 8, 1998
C/Net

In tandem with price cuts on its mainstream Pentium II processors, Intel released a new 300-MHz version of its Celeron microprocessor for budget computers, which is expected to spawn a spate of new low-cost machines, including the first for less than $1,000 from Dell Computer.

And, unlike the lukewarm reception that the 266-MHz version of the chip met with upon its release, nearly all of the major PC manufacturers, including Dell, are expected to release systems based around this latest version of the chip over the next few days, sources close to Intel said.

 
June 8, 1998

Merced's dark cloud gives silver lining to Digital's Alpha

By Brian Fuller and Anthony Cataldo

June 5, 1998
EE Times

While Intel Corp. stayed mum on the causes and systems vendors dismissed the effects of the delay in the Merced processor, long-suffering Digital Equipment Corp. suddenly found itself with a thin ray of hope in pitting its Alpha microprocessor against Intel's processor dominance.

Intel this week declined to add further details to its May 29 statement, made after the close of the stock market, that its first 64-bit CPU would slip at least six months from an expected 1999 ramp to sometime in 2000.

See Today's Related Stories

Xeon Tapped To Pick Up Slack

By Edward F. Moltzen

June 5, 1998
Computer Reseller News

Intel Corp. will offer its new Pentium II Xeon processor as a potential alternative in mid-range to high-end solutions until its now-delayed Merced 64-bit processor is released, executives said.

Engineers from the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip maker said in a briefing this week that, although they did not plan on it, the Xeon technology could fill the gap in workstation and server situations created by Merced's stumble.

 

National Finally Names System-On-A-Chip Device

By Sandy Chen

June 5, 1998
Computer Reseller News

National Semiconductor Corp. has finally arrived at a name for the low-cost system-on-a-chip device it first previewed in April, dubbing the highly integrated microprocessor the MediaPC.

Speaking at the recent Computex ’98 show here, Brian L. Halla, chairman, president, and chief executive of National, Santa Clara, Calif., said the chip is scheduled for a June 1999 introduction, at which time it will replace the MediaGX integrated processor manufactured by subsidiary Cyrix Corp., Richardson, Texas.

 

Intel lawsuit may be flawed

By Reuters

June 7, 1998
C/Net

The government’s anticipated antitrust lawsuit against Intel--expected to focus on the chip giant’s practice of withholding its intellectual treasuresfrom some computer makers--will probably be flawed,
analysts say.

On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission is expected to file a lawsuit against Intel alleging the world’s biggest chip maker abused its microprocessor monopoly power to bully other high-tech companies. The microprocessor is the heart of the personal computer.

See Today's Updated Stories

NatSemi boss courts Acer, seeks Slot 1 allies
He's got an ally in the shape of IBM already, but we think he wants a better one

June 4, 1998
The Register

Pugnacious NatSemi CEO Brian Halla was talking deals at both ends of the market yesterday in Taipei. On the one hand Halla was reiterating NatSemi's commitment to producing Slot 1 chips, and on the other we was warmly supporting Acer boss Stan Shih's vision of the XC application-specific device (see separate story, below).  

Intel rejigs roadmap, confirms announcements
Katmai "secret weapon" to combat Acer-NatSemi

June 8, 1998
The Register

In a swift response to news exclusively reported here that Acer and National Semiconductor are to team up on low-end systems, Intel has rejigged its roadmap for the year. Intel has also confirmed other details of its roadmap, previously revealed here.

A source from the company said that the map now looks like this. Intel will release its 300MHz Celeron processor in Q2 of 1998, while its 300 and 333MHz products with 128K of integrated level two cache will arrive in the fourth quarter of this year.

 

Intel Steps Up Plans For Its Celeron Chip

By Mary Hayes

June 8, 1998
InformationWeek

Intel accelerated the road map for its Celeron chip, and will announce details of a 300-MHz Celeron chip June 8, company officials said.

The analyst community has scrutinized the performance of Intel's (company profile) first Celeron, a 266-MHz chip for low-cost computers that was introduced in April. Because the current Celeron design does not have Level 2 cache, which is a special type of high-speed memory, it is considerably slower in performance than Pentium II chips with comparable clock speeds.

 
Updated Stories

FTC ready to vote on Intel

By Michael Kanellos

June 7, 1998
C/Net

The Federal Trade Commission is expected to meet on Monday to vote on whether to take action against Intel.

Sources close to the case expect that the commission's four members--a fifth slot is empty--will vote at a midday meeting Monday to charge that Intel abused market power by forcing other companies to surrender their trade secrets.

 
Today's Related Stories

Merced delay turns focus back to 32-bit

By Lisa DiCarlo

June 8, 1998
PC Week Online

A six-month delay in Intel Corp.'s first 64-bit processor will put more emphasis on 32-bit platforms for enterprise computing. But that will provide even less incentive for IT managers to move off their battle-tested, proprietary data center platforms any time soon.

With the release of the 64-bit Merced chip pushed back to mid-2000, Intel and its partners are working to add muscle to the 32-bit Pentium platform to serve more mission-critical needs.

 

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