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To: Marvin M. Lim who wrote (8513)	5/28/1998 8:56:00 AM
From: LarryS	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 11555

Here's something about Centaur from the local paper, the Austin American-Statesman: y Omar L. Gallaga American-Statesman Staff Published: May 28, 1998 Last November, Glenn Henry, the head of Austin's Centaur Technology, introduced the Winchip, a low-cost alternative to the Pentium processor that was designed by 15 engineers for about $20 million. Now, Henry is ready for battle again with a line of next-generation Winchips using 3DNow, a set of graphics, sound and network enhancements it licensed from AMD. He is joining AMD and Cyrix in an attempt to steal thunder from Intel in the bargain PC market. "Intel has abandoned this part of the marketplace," Henry said. "We started off cloning Intel, but now we're cloning AMD." Henry said AMD, in pushing its technology to the gaming industry and breathing life into a motherboard architecture to compete with Intel's Slot 2, is driving the industry. Henry said his company will compete with AMD but will sell processors in the 266 MHz to 300 MHz range at prices lower than any of the other processor companies. Cyrix, which will use the 3DNow technology in its MXi processors to be introduced this year, also finds itself in the position of forming an alliance with a direct competitor. "We have an interesting name for it -- cooperatition," said Stan Swearingen, senior director of the desktop division at Cyrix. "(AMD, Centaur and Cyrix) were at the microprocessor forum last year, and each of us got up and introduced our own 3-D instruction sets," Swearingen said. "The industry said, 'This is kind of crazy -- you're not going to get adoption from the software vendors.' " The companies agreed on the 3DNow standard, which would leverage strength on Socket 7, the motherboard platform that competes with Intel's Slot 2 architecture. Swearingen said Intel is vulnerable at the low end, and it's important for the three companies to push forward on the new technology. "We felt it was pretty powerful for us to align with AMD and IDT (Centaur's parent company) to offer a new technology for Intel," he said. "It's pretty much the first time that's happened in the industry." All three companies have manufacturing muscle to back up their production. IDT and AMD have both signed foundry agreements with IBM to produce their 3DNow processors. And Cyrix has the production strength of its owner, National Semiconductor. Whether or not the processors catch on with more PC makers or with consumers may not matter if the companies can at least keep pace with Intel, said Henry Voskoboynik, an analyst at Forum Capital Markets. "This is a very good move for AMD, Cyrix and IDT. Those companies can survive very well eating crumbs from Intel's plate."

To: Marvin M. Lim who wrote (8513)	6/3/1998 10:49:00 PM
From: Marvin M. Lim	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 11555

Semiconductor Assoc Sees Chip Sales Falling 1.8% In '98 PALO ALTO, Calif., (Dow Jones)--Semiconductor sales will decline 1.8% in 1998 as Asian economic woes contribute to a general market slowing, the Semiconductor Industry Association said. The forecast, released after market close, tones down the association's annual October prediction for a 16.8% sales increase this year. "Industrywide expectations for a strong year in 1998 ran aground during the first weeks of the new year, when sales slowed in all markets," according to an association press release. "By the end of the first quarter, sales had declined 10.2% in the America(n) market, 4.9% in Europe, 11.5% in Japan and 9.7% in Asia Pacific" from the fourth quarter. The gradual slowing of the global economy and continued pricing pressures from an oversupply of memory chips help explain the slowing, the trade group said. In the microprocessor segment of the market - microprocessors are chips installed as the brains of computers - the popularity of sub-$1,000 machines pushed margins lower. As a result, sales of $23.4 billion will only match those of 1997, the association said. "Dow Jones News Service" "Copyright(c) 1998, Dow Jones & Company, Inc."

To: Marvin M. Lim who wrote (8513)	6/3/1998 10:53:00 PM
From: Marvin M. Lim	Respond to of 11555

Chip Forecast -2: Assoc Sees Sales Climbing In '99, 2000 Despite a lackluster first quarter, chip sales should pick up steadily during the second half of the year and rebound in 1999, 2000 and 2001, the Semiconductor Industry Association said. Global sales should increase 17.2% in 1999 to $157.7 billion, 18.5% in 2000 and 18.8% in 2001, the association said. The industry's historic growth rate has been 17%. "With Internet use doubling every 100 days and Internet commerce about to explode, we can already see the beginnings of the next growth cycle for semiconductors and consumer electronics," Association President George Scalise said in a printed statement. For 1998, chip sales should come to $134.6 billion, down 1.8% from $137.2 billion in 1997, according to the association's forecast. Sales of DRAM memory chips should fall 26.6% in 1998 after a 21.2% fall in 1997. The inventory oversupply problem, now in its third year, will dissipate in late 1998, the association said. Digital-signal-processor sales continue to grow and should expand by 23% in 1998. Sales of analog products, such as those used in phones, should grow by 8.3%. -Mark Boslet; 650-496-1366 "Dow Jones News Service" "Copyright(c) 1998, Dow Jones & Company, Inc."