Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ian@SI who wrote (30950)	6/10/1999 12:28:00 PM
From: Paul V.	Respond to of 70976

Ivan,"We don't have a product, so let's issue an announcement of it instead". I do not think this is possible, but what if AMAT used the previous statement of 300mm slowdown as a method to smoke out the semi manufactures. Possible? Sounds like something that Microsoft would do. Paul

To: Ian@SI who wrote (30950)	6/10/1999 12:31:00 PM
From: Jeffrey D	Respond to of 70976

Ian:<<"We don't have a product, so let's issue an announcement of it instead".>> Ian, I'm not so sure if that is the case. Even if it was, didn't AMAT's competitors do the same thing and put 300MM on the back burner? Surely, AMAT didn't need to send out a press release for its current customer's consumption. I am sure they already know AMAT's capabilities in this area. It could be they sent it out for the public and the press to counteract those public statements they made and you mentioned. In any event, I am confident AMAT will get more than its fair share of this market. Jeff

To: Ian@SI who wrote (30950)	6/10/1999 2:10:00 PM
From: LemurHouse	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 70976

A couple of nights ago I was at a function where Mark Andreesen was speaking about the challenges in starting successful technology companies. (Andreesen being the "father" of the Netscape web browser -- with appologies to Al Gore and the rest of the Netscape design team -- and is now chief technology guru at AOL.) Andreesen gave a few of his personal rules, one of which was his rule of "N3" -- Nobody kNows 'Nothin'. He meant that none of the pundits, analysts, or so-called experts can successfuly predict the future, and that start-ups need to embrace the obvious but difficult fact that the sector is characterized by rapid and unforseen changes of direction, technologies, players, etc. Start-ups (and investors!) need to be flexible and adaptable, but above all to trust their own vision. I guess we can add to that group the industry leaders themselves. AMAT no doubt thought they were being prudent and responsible in shelving the 300mm program, and making a virtue out of that fact in the conf call. Obviously, their timing was off. Now they have to do some dancing to convince the world that the program was never very far back on the shelf, and that they are the still lead dog in the 300mm tool race. Ah well.