Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[blauboad]

If AMD wants to launch a successful product, then it has the obligation to create all of the infrastructure necessary to make it a success. It was unwise to depend upon so many outside vendors to do so much of the heavy lifting for Opteron (i.e. chipsets, motherboards, compilers, software content, etc.) that it puts the probablity of success in jeopardy.

Without third party support AMD is dead. Designing its own chipsets, mobos, etc. would alienate the third parties that AMD depends on and divert much needed resources. This is one of those disadvantages that can turn out to be an advantage in the long run, as AMD does not have the option of making the mistake Intel is making by trying to become more proprietary and in-house. Of course, if key parties leave or produce bad products, the strategy could drive them into bankruptcy too. But they don't really have any other choice, do they?