That's funny. I was thinking the same thing...
August...phone rings...
Intel: Ted, do we have a deal for you. We give you $20M and you get a great deal on our chips if you drop AMD. Not only that but you'll special consideration for our new super dooper Coppermine chips.
All you have to do is give us the "exclusive"...if you know what I mean.
AMD, TED: Well, we were considering the Athlon but if you can supply us.
Intel, Craig: No problem, trust us, were gonna jack up the MHZ on the Coppermine and blow the Athlon out of the water. You know you can't rely on AMD anyway. Look at the trouble you had getting K6's to work in those chinese motherboards. We've got these really cool
i820 chipsets too that work with this really cool RAMBUS RAM which runs at high MHZ...and Ted, you know MHZ-Sells (TM-McMannis).
AMD Ted: yeah, McMannis has that right. Let's do it.
September/October...phone rings.
AMD, Ted: Craig, we are getting clobbered at the low end. Need more Celerons and P-III-450s ASP.
Intel, Craig: Er, uh, Ted, we don't have a lot of those Celerons to send you and we stopped making the P-III-450.
AMD, Ted: But Craig, you said you were going take care of us. OK, Can you send me a bunch more P-III-500s?
Intel, Craig: Well, er...uh...Ted, we are a little short on those too. We just cleaned out inventory of Katmai 500s to E-machines...
Gotta make way for the Coppermines but I'll see what's left in the dumpster.
AMD, Ted: Jeeeez, OK send whatever you can, what about those coppermines...where the sam hill are they? You were supposed to
start shipping this month?
Intel, Craig: Well, demand is good and we are gonna meet expected demand but, er, uh, there has been a little problem...
AMD, Ted: Ok, what is it THIS time?
Intel, Craig: Well, Ted...just a few minor problems...the Coppermine is delayed until late October, we don't have any motherboards for it because the i820 chipset won't work with more than 2 DIMM slots and
well, RAMBUS ain't gonna be cheap. Sorry, we will try to get you some Coppermines by November but unfortunately Dell gets first shot because they never used AMD. I'm sure you understand...eh Teddy?
AMD, Ted: Craig...Sheeeeez!. Alright damit. Send me some 550-600 Mhz Katmais and some BX motherboards. On top of that send me some extra BX motherboards so I'll have something to stick the Coppermines in when you decide to send them!
Intel, Craig: Well, no problem with those higher speed Katmais (thinking, yeah man, get those ASPs up) but we are a little short on the BX chipsets. We cut production to make room for the i820 and you remember the problems we are having with that. We are really scramblin' around here.
AMD, Ted: Craig, you make me want to retire.
December....
Intel, Craig: Ted, I have great news...we can send you a few 800MHz Coppermines...
AMD, Ted: I don't know whether to tell you to put them where the sun don't shine or send them...(pause) Oh all right, send them...
Click.... |
