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

To: stak who wrote (43719)	1/3/1998 6:22:00 PM
From: Paul Engel	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 186894

Stak - rE: "CPU DEVELOPMENT WILL GET MORE AND MORE COSTLY TO BRING TO MARKET.SOFTWARE AND O/S DEVELOPMENT WILL COST MORE BUT NOT PROHIBITIVELY SO." This isn't pertinent. Microsoft or Sun or whatever introduces new O/S software or applications software that DEMAND EVER HIGHER PERFORMING processors. The success of these software companies depends completely on Intel, or SUN or AMD (oh yeah?) to deliver more computing horsepower to run this new software. How many x386 or x486 machines are sold these days to run Windows 95 or Windows NT? Answer - not many. What do you think Microsoft will recommend as a minimum system requirement for Windows 98? A 10 MHz 286 with 2 Megabytes of memory? Hardly. Now think of this - Windows 95 rolled out in August 1995. Windows NT v. 4 rolled out in late 1996. No major O/S releases SINCE THEN! In Novemmber, 1995, Intel rolled out the Pentium Pro. In January, 1997 Intel introduced the Pentium MMX In May, 1997 Introduced the Pentium II In July 1997, Intel introduced the Pentium Pro with 1 MegaByte integrated L2 Cache In September 1997, Intel introduced the low power 0.25 micron Tillamook for notebooks. In September 1997, Intel introduced the 440LX chip set to support the AGP In November, Intel introduced StratFlash, a new Flash technology capable of doubling non-volatile strogae density. In 9 days, Intel will introduce a 266 MHz Tillamook. At the end if January, Intel will introduce a 333 MHz Pentium II At the end of February, Intel will introduce a 350 MHz and 400 Deschutes. In the same time frame, Intel will introduce a 100 MHz 440BX chip set and the i740 3D AGP graphics accelerator. And what has Microsoft squirted out in this time frame? CONCLUSION - it may cost Microsoft LESS to roll out new software, but INTEL is more effective at technoilogy introductions DESPITE their higher costs. Intel spends their money MUCH BETTER than Microsoft. Paul

To: stak who wrote (43719)	1/5/1998 3:04:00 AM
From: Greg Luke	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

I am not sure I followed your logic. You said there are a lot more dead software companies than semiconductor manufacutures. This is the premise of my original posting. Intel has made the large investment in capital necessary to put out progressively sophisticated chips. The more complex the chips become, the more power Intel will wield. Software companies are inherently unstable. Microsoft makes 50% of its income on products developed within the previous year. It is a lot easier to develop a software program than it is to build a CPU chip. I do not think that Microsoft has as firm a position in the market as you might think. When they held the DOS operating system as the underlying software to make computers tick, they were in much tighter control of the market. Now that the Windows 95 in basically supplies its own operating system, they lost this competitive edge. (I know 95 still uses DOS as the basic substructure). But, if a Corel or a Borland came out with a Windows 2000 that could be modified to look and function the way you wanted it to, and was fully compatible with Windows XX, Netscape, Java, Active X, etc., I think Microsoft could take a real tumble. I think an good comparison might be McDonald when they first appeared some 40 years ago. No other competition, and it grew fast. Yes, they may be good now, but the other burger joints all take from the market share. I would not be surprise to see Microsoft sharing their market share with other competitors soon..particularly if they continue to have this major chip on their shoulder! Greg