The above statement from the article you posted is true now, but nowhere
near the truth 18 months ago.

If Intel had successfully released RAMBUS system memory interface at least
12-18 months ago, every memory manufacturer and box makers would have simply
followed Intel's orders.  Intel could have cornered this market with its
influence over the RAMBUS standard by creating new proprietary memory
standards at the slightest sign of competition's progress. It would have set
itself as the part, if not the whole beneficiary of royalties paid by
the memory manufacturers.

I'm glad it didn't pan out this way. With power shifting to buyers and CPU
dependent component makers(thanks to the Athlon), coupled with Intel's
engineering problems, Intel is fast losing the intangible strategic advantages
associated with RAMBUS except for the allure of making a huge financial gain by
fulfilling RAMBUS contractual obligations.