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I just check tehe Intel forum, and they are celebrating that the sales of the processor on life support (Itanium) exceeded the sales of one that has been dead for years (MIPS). This was about sales of company that itself is on the life-support (SGI).
It would not suprise me if SGI is receiving Itanium processors (intravenously) at great discount.
Oh yes, and SGI has great margins on these systems - probably thanks to Itaniums at fraction of the list price.
Joe
You are of course entitled to your "opinion", it's just a shame that you didn't make your "opinion" known on that forum, or to those people's faces, instead of slinking around to another forum to bash them behind their back. I'm not surprised.
Semi
Semi,
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one ... <VVVBG>
I agree to disagree. Btw, I guess that makes this...... A Win-Win resoulution, eh?
Semi
If true, that's a real shame ... replacing a concept that really worked with watered down pablum, IMO.
I don't agree that it "really" worked. I agree that it worked to some extent, but it also had an unfortunate side effect of damaging team unity, and delaying the process while peoples ego's were sorted out.
How do you think that reporter felt towards Craig after his comment? No matter how nice you say it, criticism is criticism, and from what I've seen, the same result can be achieved with positive feedback, seek to understand all points of view, then act to do the right thing. That's the better way to go IMO.
Semi
AMD's Corporate Culture
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=15148
Intel's Corporate Culture
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=15147
Intel Tejas T-Shirt
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=15146
The Craig Barrett article that the Inq references is dated 1998, and at that time, Constructive Confrentation was in favor, no doubt. Actually, I hear the concept of constructive confrontation has really fallen out of favor at intel these days. It has been replaced by a win-win philosphy, arrriving at a solution that benefits everyone. These days, Craig probably would have given that reporter a discount coupon for a Dell Inspirion
And yes, that training document does list CC as one of the classes to be taken, but if you back up one link, here's what it says....
Materials Core Training Plan
This link provides a general training plan as an example. The example is a Word document. Group specific training requirements will vary.
Most likely the Inq just neglected to investigate as far as I did (cough). One thing's for sure, I HOPE that "Tejas" shirt story is true.... I have GOT to get me one of those
Semi
"A quick gauge of how successful that move has been can be gleaned from SGI's Q4'03's hardware sales figures. Kan says that their Linux systems made up 53% of sales compared to 47% for IRIX. These were based on the Altix 3000 systems sales."
Here's an interesting quote:
"Kan says SGI realises about 60%-65% margins on the Altix 350 product range."
WoW! I've been watching your postings/predictions on SGI/Itanium for awhile now, and while it all looked good, before now, I found myself thinking, "yeah, sure, maybe, but do the numbers bear out the statements". I guess my question's been answered. I was expecting the high margins, but I didn't expect the crossover........ What can I say? Oh yeah.....
CHA-CHING!
Semi
Hi SemiconEng, "Qwest"
Hi Amy, Welcome. I've been meaning to tell you, I really enjoy reading your posts on SI, very informative, and well written, though I can't say that I always agree with ya. I'd be OK with it, if ya hung out here a little more often too
"personal reasons"
Usually, a person completes their term or says they have to resign because they have to focus their efforts on such and such. Makes you wonder what the personal reasons are, if there's something wrong and could it impact Intel? At least Paul Otelini seems ready. Intel doesn't seem to have enough people in the pipeline though, if something happens to Paul O.
Yeah, maybe. The thing is, whenever I've left a job in the past, and used that "Personal reasons" thing, what I really wanted to say, was somewhere along the lines of: "I can't stand working here, or for you anymore, and I have to get the heck out of here before I go nuts". That's why it peeked my interest, but I haven't found any reasons for Craig to leave that make sense by reading the Yahoo Finance Board scoop on Qwest.
btw, If Craig left tomorrow, and Otellini took over imediately, I wouldn't cry.... not one bit. If not Otellini, then I think Sunlin Chou (sp?) would also be a good person to step in. I've heard good things about him..... Though Otellini seems to have a lock on being the successor. We'll see.
Semi
Fyi... Barrett leaves Qwest board.
Maybe the "personal reasons" are the fact that Craig is widely expected to retire next year when he reaches intel's mandatory 65 yrs? I half expected him to continue in some sort of advisory role, if not at intel, on some other board somewhere, but this seems the exact opposite. Hummmmm...... interesting.
Semi
Ministry of Education Equips 35,000 Malaysian Teachers with Intel Centrino Mobile Technology-Based Notebook PCs
Thursday April 1, 12:34 pm ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040401/15498_1.html
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2004--Malaysia's Ministry of Education today announced that 35,000 teachers are now equipped with Intel® Centrino(TM) mobile technology-based notebook PCs to help improve teaching techniques. Reflecting the Ministry's goal to integrate technology into Malaysia's primary and secondary school curriculum, the new notebooks will also provide teachers with greater freedom to connect in new places and in new ways.
Semi
That's great news.
Hopefully all employees also were granted almost three times as many options as they received the previous year.
Mysef
I haven't heard of any falloff of employees stock option grants, which I also hear every employee gets, and are generous to begin with........ compared to AMD I mean. Those that perform get more, those that don't, get less, or nothing. That's what happens when a company consistantly has profits, compared to companies that don't.
In those cases, Only the top officers like ole Jerry, get to rip off the investors on those options deals, sell their options before the crash, and also use the companies money to buy themselves College Chairs, but I guess it's only intel you have an issue with, since I can't recall any criticism of AMD from you in those cases.
So, thanks for your concern about intel's employees stock options, though I'm certain that your "concern" is unnecessary.
Semi
Funny that he didn't receive any focal increase in his base pay though..... Maybe he got an "Improvement Required", due to the dot com company buying fiasco?
Ouch!!!
Sorry, I couldn't resist...... That whole deal does seem like an IR justification to me though.....
Semi
Intel CEO Bonus Rose 41 Percent in 2003
Wednesday March 31, 6:11 pm ET
By Matthew Fordahl, AP Technology Writer
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/040331/intel_compensation_2.html
Papers Show Intel CEO Craig Barrett's Bonus Rose 41 Percent in 2003, Though Salary Remained Same
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Intel Corp. chief executive Craig Barrett's bonus jumped 41 percent in 2003, though his salary remained unchanged from the previous year, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Barrett earned $610,000 in salary and $1.51 million in bonuses in 2003, when the chip-making giant's profits jumped 81 percent to $5.6 billion and sales increased more than 12 percent to $30.14 billion. His 2002 bonus was $1.07 million.
Of course his bonus rose 41%, profits rose 81%. I guess some tech writers don't understand how intel's employee bonus system works. EVERY EMPLOYEE receives a bonus equal to 1/2 days pay for EACH 2% of profit the company makes. So, while it is correct to say that Craig Barretts bonus rose 41%, the small fact that they leave out, is that EVERY intel Employee's bonus rose 41% also, in line with the standard intel policy.
Funny that he didn't receive any focal increase in his base pay though..... Maybe he got an "Improvement Required", due to the dot com company buying fiasco?
Semi
I think it's called leakage.
I wasn't talking about leakage. I pointed out, that on the one hand, you seem to be saying that the extra prescott transistors are causing "wasted power" (your words), and on the other hand, you seem to also be saying, that the extra transistors are AMD incompatible and suggested MS made them "drop their work", "since it is turned off" (your words too). The transistors are on, or they're off, You can't have it both ways. Did I misunderstand?
Semi
greg,
it's a best guess.
Using Hans's article.
http://chip-architect.com/news/2003_04_20_Looking_at_Intels_Prescott_part2.html
Do you think anyone else would like to post more accurate information?
Didn't think so.
Mysef
More accurate.....? Nope...... Another "Guess".....? Sure...... My pleasure
http://investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=2582755
ROTFLMAO
Oh man..... I slay me
Semi
Prescott is on it's 4th stepping and it's still carrying around the incompatible 64 bit transistors? The power wasted must still be high.
Mysef
Here you say the transistors are consuming power, there you say they're turned off. I don't understand how you can be taking oxymoronic positions. If it's turned off, how can the transistors are consume any power? 300mm Real estate...... sure. Power....... ummmmmm..... I don't think so.
http://investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=2706776
Is the 1/2 of Prescott that is AMD64 compatible? I decided it wasn't since it is turned off
Semi
Good post. 4th stepping????
Steppings explained.....
http://investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=2466463
Semi
It does seem to confirm what SemiconEng has been saying - there is nothing wrong with Intel's 90nm process.
I know it seems counter intuitive for me to keep saying that, with all of Prescott's issues, and all I have is ancedotal evidence, and Process experience, but here's why I think so......
First, all that saying there's nothing wrong with the process means, is that the films are being layed down with the proper thicknesses, with expected uniformities, the Litho Patterns are hitting their critical dimensions, The Etchers are creating the correct profiles, and the cleaning processes are holding down the defect densities. In order for intel to transfer from the Development Site to the High Volume Site, the Process must achive a certain Yield, or it won't be transferred. All these things MUST have happened for the 90nm process, or intel wouldn't have transferred it to the first HVM Site in New Mexico, and they certainly wouldn't be "ramping it". No, you only ramp the wafer starts if the process is working.
Secondly, If Prescott didn't hit it's intended performance goals, then IMO something Must be wrong with the design. You fix the design with resteppings. If there was no issue with Prescott's design, then IMO, it wouldn't already be on it's 4th major restepping, and the "D" in the D0 stepping verifies that. I wouldn't even be surprised if there might already be an "E" stepping on the drawing board. Maybe it's the longer pipeline, maybe something else, I don't know what, that's more Chipguy's turf then mine. One thing's for sure, I agree with him that going with a straight Northwood shrink would have been the better way to go. I guess fans of that path, didn't get to make the decision.
Semi
Take a look at the iHub and SI AMD boards.
ROTFLMAO........ Oh wait..... I "get it" now.....It's not an AMD SNAFU..... OH Noooooooooooo
No..... wait..... I know....... AMD's using their cutting edge vapor 90nm process, not for Hammers..... but for flash..... No wait..... They're not projecting as many hammers because they want to switch over to 90nm..... yeah.... that's the ticket..... No, No wait..... I mean.... ummmmmm..... yeah..... It's intel black shirts paying off Ed again...... No wait.... what I meant was, Ed's a secret investor in intel, and it's all a conspiracy!!!! Where oh where is Van Smith when they need him......??
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh man..... do me a favor, don't show me those things again, I about busted a gut watching all that comedic tap dancing. I'm not sure I can take "reviewing" such a "show" again.
Semi
The article speculates that ASML and Nikon got the business. For Nikon, It would most likely be Nikon's Step-and-Repeat Scanning System NSR-S308F, and if ASML probably the TwinScan 1250. Time to buy stock in Nikon and/or ASML?
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/news/2004/nsrs308_e_04.htm
Announcing Start of Ordering for Nikon's Step-and-Repeat Scanning System NSR-S308F
Nikon Corporation (Teruo SHIMAMURA, President) is pleased to announce that it has developed and in April 2004 will start receiving orders for the lens-based scanning ArF excimer laser stepper, Nikon Step-and-Repeat Scanning System NSR-S308F, for use in the mass-production of advanced 65 nm or smaller devices. The new system has the world's highest* N.A. lens.
http://www.asml.com/NASApp/asmldotcom/productdetail.do?ctx=250&rid=6253
The TWINSCAN™ XT:1250 is a 193 nm, high NA Step & Scan lithography tool designed for volume 200 mm and 300 mm wafer production at 70 nm resolution. The TWINSCAN™ XT:1250 combines the imaging power of a variable 0.60-0.85 numerical aperture Zeiss Starlith™ 1250, double telecentric 4X 193-nm reduction lens with AERIAL™ II Illuminator technology, extending ArF to the 65 nm technology node.
Semi
Dell To Sell Opterons......
Psyche.........
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nf/20040326/bs_nf/23498
The commotion following the brief appearance on Dell's (Nasdaq: DELL - news) Web site of an ad for an AMD (NYSE: AMD - news) Opteron processor probably is much ado over nothing, say analysts. Dell insists it was acting merely as a reseller and that it does not offer AMD processors in its personal computers and servers.
Dell says it is committed to making computers outfitted only with Intel processors. The pairing has proven to be a success -- not unlike the Windows-Intel duo that reinforced Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) dominance as an OS supplier.
WIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFF.... Strike 3 AMD....... Again
Maybe next time......... But not today.
Semi
Shocking Hammer production projections.
http://overclockers.com/tips00552/
What is important is that AMD doesn't plan to make many Hammers over the next year, period. Even a year from now, desktop Hammer production will be less than 20% of a decent production quarter for Dresden today.
"Does Anybody Want This CPU?"
Apparently Not..... Or maybe Elmer was right about A64 poor yields after all.
Semi
Chinese Wi-Fi No Longer An Issue?
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=14977
As we have reported previously, Intel is unable to sell its Centrino technology into mainland China after June 1st, because China wants all wireless chipsets to conform to its own encryption standards.
But Emvara, which we have tried to contact for clarification, already appears to have numbers of customers including many Taiwanese firms.
I searched around on Emvara's web page, and I did not find anything specifically referencing any products that reference the Chinese Standard, but their products are 80211a/b/g standardized. if they do have such a product, and they are Fabless, then intel can "foundry" their chips, instead of the intel's own design, and voila', no more Centrino/China issue.
Semi
UPDATE - Intel, Alcatel in broadband wireless pact
http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040325/tech_intel_alcatel_2.html
SAN FRANCISCO, March 25 (Reuters) - Intel Corp. (NasdaqNM:INTC - News), the world's largest chip maker, and French telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel have agreed to jointly develop and promote products for an emerging wireless communications technology called WiMAX, the companies said on Thursday.
Semi
Integrated memory controller will come in Intel chips not sooner than in 2 years.......
btw, did anyone ever discover what those extra dark transistors on Prescott were for? Just curious.
Semi
Integrated memory controller will come in Intel chips not sooner than in 2 years. And it won't be in Netburst. Any current metal layer changes are, obviously, completely unrelated.
I know. We weren't talking about the goals of intel's 8 metal layer change, we already all know, and I specifically already acknowledged in my post, that the change is bin related, as intel already announced. I was using that as an example of a metal layer change for improved bin split goals, as we already know, since intel announced it.
We were talking about what it would take technically (Metal Layer vs. Transistor Layer Changes), to change an already incorporated device such as AMD's on-die memory controller, not whether or not, and/or when intel was, or was not, going to incorporate such a device. And certainly, nobody on this board knows how long it would take for intel to do it, even if they did.
Did you even read the thread? Or was it just the opportunity to bash....... ummmmmm I mean, "respond" to my post specifically that interested you? I bet ya don't even care why I think it would take more..... Do ya. In any case, thanks for "the feedback". I'm not surprised.
Semi
i guess this is meant for my post. do you understand what a metal only change is (as opposed to base change)? what makes you think that it means another level of metal or that it is a simple spin ?
I understand, I've been involved in dozens of minor and major steppings in 11+ years of making chips, and in all that time, every single metal layer change was done to improve speed paths or bin splits, or chip unit layout optimization. Just like intel's recently reported goals for going to 8 metal layers attested to. I have never seen changing chip functional charateristics as the goal, or the result, of metal layer changes, though, I don't have any experience with on die memory controllers specifically.
Semi
especially given that, if designed right, memory controller changes can even be metal only changes with no base impact which would reduce the mask costs substantially.
afaik, I don't believe that you can make on die memory controller changes with metal layer changes only.
Semi
Windows 64 bit edition not till second half of 2004
CeBIT 2004 AMD's 64-bit advantage waning
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=14840
If true, this would be very good news for intel. With reported Tejas samples already at the motherboard vendors, there should be no issue with intel having IA32e chips widely available, when the windows OS is available. Perfect timing.
Cha-Ching!
Semi
America's Chip Crusade
http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2004/mft04031919.htm?source=eptyholnk303100&logvisit=y&npu=y
The U.S. government has finally had enough. Yesterday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China's policy of adding a 17% value-added tax (VAT) to chips that are made here but sold in China. Local Chinese makers pay no more than 6% in VAT fees..........
To be sure, the U.S.-China brouhaha over chips is only in round one, but recent history suggests China may lose the bout. (Similar tariffs imposed by the Bush administration over steel were ruled illegal by the WTO in December.) Investors should hope so. There's little chance of American chip makers abandoning China wholesale; the market is just too large. But if the cover charge for playing in the Sino sandbox remains this high, growth and long-term profits could suffer.........
Semi
Chip firms search for geometry shrink beyond 18nm step
http://www.electronicsweekly.com/issue/dailynews.asp#A2
Investment in the new techniques is part of a search to find technology that will take the semiconductor industry beyond the ITRS (International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors), which predicts 18nm process by 2018.
Current techniques such as silicon-on-insulator (SoI) and strained silicon are being used to get shrinks to deliver the traditional benefits of higher performance, smaller area and lower power, but many think this is postponing the inevitable: a move to new materials and technologies.
FYI, I just found this Electronics Weekly site recently, but I'm discovering it has lots of interesting stories, Semiconductor related, and otherwise High Tech, and generally reports them in an unbiased way. Spares the speculation and rhetoric, just the facts please.......
Semi
Perception is cheaper than reality.
Mysef
Agreed, people sometimes can draw the wrong conclusions, leading to the possability that their perceptions can be incorrect.
http://investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=2596059
And btw, just an fyi, if you had seen the End Of Line data, Pre and Post Notched Gate, you certainly wouldn't incorrectly be calling it botched.
Semi
Tejas CPUs doing the rounds in Taiwan
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=14842
Taiwanese motherboard manufacturers claim that they tested working Tejas CPUs in their Alderwood sample boards before they made pledges to support it.
Tejas is a socket 775 CPU. It'll have 64-bit instruction support but it's quite interesting to hear that samples of the CPU are already there, even though Prescott is still a mere babe in arms.
I don't see why motherboard makers would have any reason to lie, but I guess I don't understand something, according to the latest Droidian fantasy, tejas isn't going to be out until 2005..... ummmmm, I mean 2006...... ummmmmm I mean...... sigh.... remind me again, what was the timeframe of their current fantasy? Gee, maybe the Droids are WRONG.
Semi
ZDnet Most Popular
Top 5 Desktops, All intel
http://shopper-zdnet.com.com/4032-3118_15-0.html?tag=txt
Top 6 Notebooks, 5 intel 1 Mac (Hey, how did that Mac get in there?)
http://shopper-zdnet.com.com/4032-3121_15-0.html?tag=txt
Cha-Ching!
Semi
If I am hiring at AMD, I would like to make sure no engineers from Intel be considered. You need quality control on new hires to ensure AMD's next generation chips are getting better... right?
Whew.... Well.... all I can say is, thank God, that nobody in their right mind, would give that kind of important responsability, to someone who can't evaluate a person's qualifications without injecting their personal feelings, and can't seperate their hatred from their job...... right?
Semi
Product Review: Hitachi G1000
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nf/20040318/bs_nf/23442
Combining the full functionality of a CDMA (news - web sites)/PCS cellular phone with the features and software applications of a PDA, the Hitachi (NYSE: HIT - news) G1000 is the first Pocket PC handheld to sport a Qwerty-type keyboard....
The G1000 integrates Intel's (Nasdaq: INTC - news) 400 MHz Xscale application processor, 32 MB of SDRAM, 32 MB of ROM and a graphics processor from ATI. The device also offers an SD/MMC card expansion slot that gives users the option of adding additional memory or otherwise expanding their handset's capabilities even further.......
Semi
You're wrong (eom)
Servers: More Bells And Whistles, Please
Tech buyers aren't just looking for bargains now -- they want innovation
http://yahoo.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_12/b3875079_mz063.htm
Most surprising, IBM is growing faster than Dell in key segments of the low-end server market. According to the IDC report, Big Blue had the fastest percentage growth for the past eight quarters in the market for Intel servers, which cost $1,000 to $25,000. One key reason: IBM sells servers with 8 to 16 Intel chips, while Dell has stopped selling those more complex systems. IBM is using its knowhow in 16-chip servers to deliver other innovations: Customers can rent supercomputing power from Intel clusters in IBM's new hosting centers.
Not that it's time to pass the hat for Dell. Its strategy of hyperefficiency, including spare investments in technology, helped Dell boost its share of the server market last year to 9.1% from 8.2%. IBM, meantime, increased its lead to 31.6% from 29.3%. In fact, Dell and IBM act like pincers in the server market, with IBM squeezing from the top and Dell from the bottom. Sun Microsystems Inc. (SUNW ), in particular, has lost share...........
Semi
You can bet they're working feverishly on it. The trouble is that every stepping turns out to yield well so they have to revise the design. Someone suggested they open the cleanroom door during one of Ocatillo's famous sand storms to better emulate AMD's fab.
Copy exactly you know...
Snort Snort..... and additionally, intel can drop a whole bunch of wafers on the floor, and break them, so that they can reduce their "Line Yield" to the 92% Jerry was crowing about for AMD.
Semi
Hew wbmw.... did you see this?
http://news.com.com/2100-1006_3-5174895.html?tag=nefd_lede
Sources familiar with Intel's plans said that the chipmaker in May will begin affixing each of its new processors with a number designed to help consumers decipher how the features stack up against other processors in the same family. Intel will use numbers in the ranges of 300, 500 and 700, similar to the model numbers BMW uses on its sedans.
I was initially against the numbering system, because I thought that intel was going to go with some pseudo megahertz numbering system, ala AMD, so my thought was, why change to say the same thing? But now, I might have to reconsider. BMW Model numbers...... Hummmmmm.......
Pentium 700i?
I like the PR link to an elegant performance automobile, and Pentium 700 Series...... does have a ring to it. You could make 700e for extended 32/64, and even a 300i Celeron.
BRILLIANT!
Semi
XBIT on Merom
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20040316084519.html
and other things Intel is working on.. Believe it or NOT! ;)
How do you say that? Is it Meer-om, Meer-ohm, Merrrrrom? And sheesh.... Dual core, and 4M Cache? I guess we figured out why intel wanted, and what they're going to do with, all that 90nm capacity, eh?
Semi
Trying to identify contingencies. My sense is that they are building a lot of momentum for their K8 products, and that the risk from here is more on the supply side.
I understand from the discussions here that move to 90nm is only that - no change in designs, chemical processes, etc - and that that should facilitate a smooth(er) startup, Is this correct?
Is it known that they have produced working 90nm engineering samples?
Thanks
IMO, there is No Way that you are going to create the same features at 90nm that you did at 130nm, using the same chemicals, processes etc. Won't work. At least it hasn't in the past.
And, I don't understand how, what's being called a "straight shrink", can have the same layout at 90nm as it did for 130nm. A straight shrink is usually accomplished by on the same process using techniques like shortening the speed paths, or redoing the layout of the sub units to improve efficiencies.
I would optimize the positions of my processor units on a move from 130nm to 90nm, but even if AMD did not, For sure, the switch to 90nm, will shrink the Poly Gate widths, so it seems to me, that layout will most certainly need to change in any case. That means new Litho Stepper Reticles. Better hope they get those reticles from Dupont on time.
I guess it boils down to that I'm just not as convinced as some obviously more experienced than I, that it's going to be a "smooth startup". But what do I know. jmo.
Semi