Lucius - Re: "Companies do notlike to be entirely dependent on one supplier for the most critical part of a computer. "
The only thing PC makers like less than une CPU supplier is NO CPU suppliers.
Everytime AMD falls on their face, Intel is there to furnish more Pentiums/Pentium Pros/Pentium II's, etc. to any company that previously bought from AMD.
For those companies that refrained from dumping Intel and jumping to AMD, they are in good shape. And, knowing that Intel is a reliable supplier of CPUs with no record of missing deliveries due to yield problems (excess demand occasionally disruopts the supply chain), these same companies develop a deeper trust and DEPENDENCE on Intel for their main CPU supply.
It also must occur to these same companies that Intel's massive Fab capacity, Production and manufacturing know-how, re-investmenst and technology development have been done not only for Intel's benefit but for their own benefit - and survival.
For reference - please take note of every PC maker that committed to using the K6 - every one (DEC, IBM, Fujitsu, Vobis, CyberSmash, FrogLeap, Dyslexia COmputers, etc) still sells Intel Inside PCs. NONE OF THEM ever committed to AMD for their full CPU production.
Re: "AMD will solve their production problems, and AMD might not
be a bad investment if it gets cheap enough."
I agree - AMD will be a good investment some day - as they were 14 months ago.
However, at that time, it was beleived that their K6, which had just seen first silicon, was going to be their "catapault" into the big leagues, that their design/production problems were behind them. In retrospect, this same "feeling" occurred in 1991 when AMD introduced their 80386 and in 1994 with AMD's 80486.
Every burst of optimism was followed by a BUST of reality - AMD once again finding new and unique ways to plummet to disaster.
Paul |
