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.

Technology Stocks : WDC/Sandisk Corporation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim Cash who wrote (1101)	10/25/1997 12:58:00 AM
From: Michael Anthony	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 60323

Friday October 24 8:28 PM EDT Intel clarifies plant delay explanation SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Intel Corp said that it is delaying the opening of its $1.3 billion plant in Fort Worth, Texas due to a product switch at another plant in Israel, not due to weakening demand for flash memory chips. Intel said the plant in Texas was scheduled to make logic chips, which will now be switched to Israel, because the plant in Israel is closer to volume production. ''It means the capacity that Texas represented won't be needed until the future,'' said an Intel spokesman, clarifying previous reports on the plant. ''The unit demand for flash remains high.'' He added that there are many new entrants and the competition is very aggressive but that industry analysts forecast flash memory will grow in the future. Intel will counter the competition in flash with new products and by being aggressive in pricing and supply, he said, but he said Intel is not forecasting weak demand. The plant in Israel was to make flash memory chips but Intel said that the plant will now make logic and micrprocessor chips. ''The reason it was switched is the growing demand for microprocessor products and we can be in production and online in Israel quicker because the factory construction is further along,'' said Howard High, the Intel spokesman. He said the Israel plant was started about a year earlier than the Texas plant.

To: Jim Cash who wrote (1101)	10/25/1997 12:52:00 PM
From: OrionX	Respond to of 60323

Jim, >>>It sure does, thanks. Now if SNDK can get its drives into the Gigabytes at around 500 clams there would be no reason to own a hard drive. I agree with you! The smaller hard disks (something like <3 GB) are in my opinion doomed to be replaced with Sandisk flash drives. Removeable disks (Zip, Jaz) watch out! With Sandisk's new fab in production (1998?), the cost of flash technology is going to drop to a competitive level (maybe with a small premium). Look at today's hard drives, every HD manufacturer is moving to higher density drives for a small increment in cost. You can buy a 3GB HD for 250. and for 10-20 dollars more you get 4GB. For $350. you get 6GB! The cost of the enclosure and the electronics is probably about the same for 2GB and 4GB so doubling the disk capacity doesn't double the cost. The potential for flash drives was the big reason I jumped on the Sandisk trail two years ago. Soon this market will open up big time for Sandisk. With Flash technology and new ones on the horizon, mechanical storage will eventually fade away. Global domination has just begun! Regards, Mauro.