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Technology Stocks : Rambus (RMBS) - Eagle or Penguin -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mkilloran who wrote (34922)	11/20/1999 1:01:00 PM
From: richard surckla	Respond to of 93625

Posted on Yahoo by yoursuit: Date: 11/20 01:10 EST Chip-set delay means few systems will roll this year -- Rambus eyes 2000 for ramp Nov. 19, 1999 (Electronic Engineering Times - CMP via COMTEX) -- LAS VEGAS - Rambus-based PCs are finally here, but there may not be many of them until next year. Intel Corp. launched its long-awaited Camino chip set last week during Fall Comdex here, paving the way for the high-speed memory chips to be deployed in desktop and notebook systems. But following two well-publicized delays, the Camino will not see widespread use this year, nor are RDRAM chips going to ship in high volumes. "Since the chip set isn't going to be available for most of 1999, we certainly don't think there will be many of them used this year," said Subodh Toprani, marketing vice president of Rambus Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.). "However, we don't think the delays will impact the ramp we expect to see next year." Intel was forced to delay the Camino, formally named the 820 chip set, in September, just days before its scheduled rollout, when a last-minute technical glitch was discovered during final validation tests. This followed an earlier pushout, when Intel moved the launch from the spring to September. Another chip set that rolled out last month, the 840, allows RDRAM devices to be implemented in servers and workstations. Cost will drop Less than 5 percent of the DRAMs sold this year are expected to be RDRAM devices, according to Douglas Crane, a member of the technical staff at Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (Irvine, Calif.). That figure could swell to about 20 percent next year, and may reach 50 percent in 2001. "The initial use will be very small," he said. It will also be expensive. Crane said RDRAM currently costs about twice the price of a standard SDRAM, for comparable densities. He predicted that figure will drop as the technology becomes more common. Wai Szeto, vice president of strategic business development for memory module maker Kingston Technology Corp., said the cost may limit RDRAM deployment. "Twice the price of SDRAM is too high," he said. Eventually, Wai said RDRAM costs will sink to 5 to 10 percent above SDRAM prices, reflecting the slightly larger die size of Rambus chips. "The larger die means a higher cost to produce the chips, but that will be the only premium," he said. Toprani also expects prices to come down as manufacturers increase their production. "The costs are high because the production volumes are low and the supply is limited," he said. "Once manufacturers increase their production, the prices will become closer to SDRAM." -0- By: Will Wade Copyright 1999 CMP Media Inc.