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Technology Stocks : Advanced Micro Devices - Moderated (AMD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: porn_start878 who wrote (39504)	5/14/2001 2:23:31 AM
From: ptanner	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 275872

Re: Mobile Athlon 4 PGA Packaging an error from AMD I agree that AMD should move to a separate and smaller package to expand the product into the ultra-thin and light notebook areas. IIRC, these are the fastest growing segments. Would keeping the mobile Athlon 4 in a PGA package make it easier to upgrade notebook processors? After the warranty expired, of course. This would make the purchase of a mobile Duron now have a much longer potential life... assuming AMD didn't transition to packaging its mobile processors in a more appropriate form factor. I am still not convinced about AMD's plan to limit PowerNow to the mobile processors. Given current electrical supply concerns wouldn't it be nice to have the option to expand the savings on desktop machines when they are in use? (I know you can idle components when not in use... but do I really need all 893MHz from this Duron as I type? Well, the other cycles are doing distributed computing.) It seems the mobile units should work in a desktop - just not with all the features. From AMD's FAQ: Question: Can I use my mobile AMD Athlon 4 processor in my Socket A desktop system? Answer: No. For mobile platforms, the system bus runs at a lower voltage, and a number of additional pins are defined for mobile specific functions (such as AMD PowerNow! technology). In general, the mobile AMD Athlon 4 processor is not supported in a desktop Socket A system. www1.amd.com Maybe an enterprising mobo will enable this functionality with an appropriate chipset? I guess I should write AMD (as an investor and energy-efficiency interested consumer). Hopefully we will soon see some mobile DDR as this would provide another differentiating feature (lower power consumption), particularly if the hardware prefetch can use the extra bandwidth for a few more %. -PT

To: porn_start878 who wrote (39504)	5/14/2001 2:28:34 AM
From: Joe NYC	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 275872

Max, I think it's an error from AMD. They should have used smaller package, making the chip more attractive to labtop makers and would put a clear technical difference between mobile and desktop parts. There was an article about that recently which said that AMD is planning on doing just that. These are just plain Socket A parts with low voltage, and it seems silly that AMD is playing all these games with it. I have a feeling that the strategy is to keep the core very expensive, and keep it away from general desktop market until there is a smaller package. I don't think it is a good strategy. If AMD just released these Palominos and sold them at desktop prices (where the prices will be in 1 to 2 quarters anyway), they would have been able to sign up more OEMs right away and have a huge launch, selling a multiple (2, 5 or 10) of the very low volume this launch are experiencing. AMD is basically blowing 1 or 2 quarters of Palomino's life, and all they are getting for it is 500 processors sold on HSN, in Compaqs consumer line, no commercial win. I have to agree with Paul that AMD (management) is executing itself very well. They have a nice processor on their hand which the management and the marketing have bungled badly. What do we expect? These are the same people who came up with Athlon 4 name. If right now I was an AMD engineer, I would be frustrated as hell. These guys must have put in some overtime, late night shifts, and the inept management are just letting their hard work evaporate into the thin air. Joe