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Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: deibutfeif who wrote (103729)	5/27/2000 6:36:00 PM
From: wily	Respond to of 186894

dbf, Actually, I'm aware of the vaunted advantages of nv system memory, but as you say maybe not appreciative enough. I'm pretty much resigned to my computer being the way it is -- marginally useful, autocratic, life-absorbing, hyper-sensitive, etc... If it was as easy as the DRAM makers simply deciding to switch to OUM (assuming it was ready to go), I'm sure they would do it. But there would have to be a huge incentive for them to absorb the cost of the switch. It is quite possible that the density advantage of OUM -- by itself, and disregarding the nonvolatility, may soon be that compelling. I was focusing on the cache aspect because 1) it is relevant to Intel, and 2) because I see the motivation there as possibly more immediate than in the system memory area. That said, I'm willing to explore the system memory side too. My questions here would be how much of a change-over would it be for a DRAM manufacturer and how much of the computer's hardware/software infrastructure would have to change to accommodate it? Seems to me like it's going to happen, and sooner than people expected, because everybody had their eyes on the magnetic solutions while OUM snuck up un-noticed. It could still be a ways off, though -- I have no idea what the ETA is for actual product. Maybe by the time it gets here MRAM will be close behind. I do know that they're working on Flash applications first and haven't signed a DRAM manufacturer yet. I think that the Ovonyx staff isn't large enough to handle development on more than one front. But from the time of first Flash product, it probably won't be too much longer 'til the first system-memory product. I guess the main questions are development time and difficulty/cost to manufacture. Tyler says that OUM integrates easily with the CMOS process, but he also talks about (listen to his interview on WallStreetReporter) doing the chalcogenide processing in-house, i.e., manufacturers would ship their mostly-completed wafers to Ovonyx where the chalcogenide steps would be done (2 or 3 mask steps, so he says) and then shipped back for completion and packaging. This makes me think that it is not that easy to make OUM. wily Here's the link to the interview: wallstreetreporter.com