<font color=red>THE MORE TIME PASSES WITHOUT AN OUTRIGHT DENIAL FROM delL ABOUT iTs FORMAL ADOPTION AND EMBRACING OF THE NEW AMD ATHLON FOUR CHIP; THE MORE LIKELY THIS EVENT IS TO BECOMES AN INEVITABLE REALITY!
To be sure, delL is trying to play this situation to iTs very best advantage. However; as reality, as I see it ( admittedly not the most unbiased of views ), sets in, the more delL is likely to view iTs best interests as coincident with the breaking of the inteL monopoly in iTs own extensive product line. In the past delL has used the competition from AMD to iTs very great advantage in striking extremely friendly and advantageous ( for iTself ) deals with inteL.
Ironically, in my view, this has accrued to AMD's very real advantage by helping to propel a host of allies, customers and technology partners, into a growing AMD camp. Nobody ( or almost nobody ) in the tech world wants to have to deal with or have to compete with a monopolistic and all powerful "kingmakeR"; least of all the likes of Compaq ( which "gave" away to AMD the technology that may have been crucial in leading to its "LDT", now, I believe, called "Hyper Transport" and widely adopted in the industry further solidifying AMD's position as and helping to displace inteL as the standard, technology leader, or standard setter ), IBM ( which has shared vital technology with AMD in a number of areas; most recently and possibly most significantly, in the longer term, SOI ), Motorola ( which has been crucial in giving AMD a jump on inteL in several process areas, the most significant, in my estimation, has been the copper interconnect arena ), and there are others.
A key phrase here, that I have employed extensively in long ago posts ( borrowed and adapted from an old Middle Eastern proverb ), is "THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND; inteL HAS MANY ENEMIES; HENCE, AMD HAS MANY FRIENDS".
This migration to the "AMD camp" has emerged recently in what Jerry Sanders has called AMD's "Virtual Gorilla" strategy. This characterization is a play on the concept that inteL is the 800 pound gorilla of the industry. AMD, as a result of inteL's unwitting and inept driving of many of iTs enemies into the "AMD camp" may have had the unintended consequence of AMD emerging as a 1600 pound gorilla. To draw from a line from an old Beatles tune: AMD is getting a little help from its friends.
Now back to delL. After all, ostensibly, delL really is what this post was supposed to be all about. There are many signs that delL is genuinely moving in the direction of a formal announcement that will favor AMD. The very few comments that have emerged from delL about AMD offerings have been increasingly absent any criticism and, in at least one unconfirmed case that I am aware of, somewhat favorable to AMD. Further, despite the press and other sources being rife with rumors of an impending, favorable to AMD, delL announcement no denials have been issued by delL. delL does comment on such rumors, often very promptly. Strange that in iTs recent CC and in at least one business show interview that I witnessed, no mention of the Athlon Four was made. Such a very pregnant surgical omission of what resides in the frontal lobe of anyone following this industry has to be the product of something other than happenstance. This could all be nothing more than posturing on the part of delL to gain the most advantage from inteL in ongoing negotiations...but, I do not think so. delL has recently stated that it will do whatever is necessary to hang onto or gain market share in every arena in which it plays. We have no reason to believe delL, other than such is to its advantage. In a largely otherwise stagnant ( currently ) marketplace, notebooks, especially the high end, offer a singular, rapidly growing, highly profitable, and ( uniquely, at this juncture ) shortage prone arena. Unless inteL is about to offer a sudden and abundant surprise ( a distinct possibility; but, in my view, very unlikely ) delL has no choice; other than to lose significant market share in one of the very few arenas in which large profits are to be had. Further, there are several more AMD introductions slated over the next several months ( at least one of them very near term ) that neither delL nor inteL can intelligently ignore; that also may materially impact strategic thinking at delL.
PLEASE, PLEASE DO COMMENT !!!!
Patient Regards,
DARBES |
