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

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (33303)	11/21/1999 11:02:00 AM
From: Tony Viola	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Brian, The assumption I am currently using is that AMAT will play a major role in whatever technology replaces silicon based IC's. Good point. AMAT is on the ball technology wise, no question. Still, you have to be careful with your companies when there is a really major tech change. An example: Even though we may think of Intel as having been around forever, they were about 6 years "late to the party" in IC's. Yet, when the first semiconductor memories and microprocessors were invented and got into production, it was Intel that did it and not some of these also rans that were very important in ICs before Intel: Fairchild Transitron Sylvania Signetics RCA GE There were more We could go on about IBM missing out on the big PC revolution, even though they came out with the first "IBM compatible" PC. About AMAT being involved, hopefully so. Same with Intel. SI will be a big help keeping up with developments. Have you seen some of those film clips on the some of the supposed material candidates to replace Si way way down the road? One I saw was nothing but water! Well, long, long ways to go and imagine how many Si chips will be fabbed between now and then, if there is a then. Tony

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (33303)	11/22/1999 1:31:00 AM
From: Doug B.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Don't count on it. Where is iOmega with removable storage, or 3Com with communication hardware? These are smaller companies by far, but they are both victims of the vagaries of fast-moving technology. The current infrastructure in VLSI/ULSI semiconductors has underlying technologies which are so specific that any change in the nature of the technology renders them irrelevant. Devices assembled in fundamentally different ways may render moot the current status quo. Just my thoughts. Doug The assumption I am currently using is that AMAT will play a major role in whatever technology replaces silicon based IC's. They have the expertise from all these years; I would think that is highly transferrable.