Compaq backs AMD-DDR over Rambus-Intel
Dearie dearie me
By Mike Magee , 29 March 2001
A REPORT IN US publication The Wall Street Journal suggests that big PC company Compaq is backing double data rate (DDR) memory over RDRAM (Rambus) memory for its family of desktops.
Hyundai said it will provide the parts to both HP and to Compaq for use with the Athlon range of PCs.
The report, by Terho Uimonen (don't we know that name from somewhere?), will be a big blow to Intel, which is unlikely to get its own DDR chipset out of the door until the third quarter of this year at the earliest.
Although the report does not say so, it is more than likely that Compaq and HP will continue to use Pentium 4 processors. But it does emphasise the difference between the only tier one firm - Dell - and the other giants. IBM can be expected to follow suit.
But a correspondent, after reading our original story, thinks we're being too hard on Intel and Rambus. He said the Pentium 4 with RDRAM has been available for many months. "At present, you can only get the non-DDR Presario Athlon box at retail outlets -- I you must have DDR (despite all the launch problems), you must order online. The Compaq P4 is widely available at US retail outlets. "While we're on the subject, with MicronPC fading into the sunset, at present there are no US OEMs selling DDR PCs at the retail level. What happened to all of the systems and motherboards announced with such fanfare six months ago? Why did Asus discontinue it's AMD761 motherboard?" However, Compaq (ticker CPQ) has a history of bucking the Intel party line. In the good old days when the firm was know as the Great Satan of Haircuts, after its charismatic ex CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer, we were witness to a merry old row between him and a senior Intel suit over the famous Intel Inside campaign.
In fact, when we saw a Compaq "Perspiration" advert on British TV the other night, we noticed that the firm was advertising not the Pentium 4 but the Pentium III, complete with the Intel tune. So far,we have no independent figures on how many Pentium 4s have actually shipped since launch in November.
But it is a big boost for both AMD and the DDR camp, represented by three big Dramurai - Micron, Hyundai and Infineon.
Strangely, all three of these companies seem to be involved in litigation with Rambus right now. The RMBS share price closed yesterday evening at just over $22. µ
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