Marvell Technology Inc (MRVL)

[bbqporkwings]

inthedark, Yesterday finetoothcomb gave us a youtube link:

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=23002358

It shows some very cool stuff that INTC is prototyping and had the new chip and wafer to show as well. In the clip were several different UMPC and MID gadgets built on the new chip. Most weren't pocket size, but some were close. INTC runs x86 on CISC processors and Sehat spoke of these during a CC earlier. The Xscale is a RISC, Feroceon and ARMs in WiFi or Blues. Xscale being built from the ARM5 by Digital Equipment Company as StrongARM. Xscale eventually via INTC ended up at MRVL. Sehat has a lot of experience with ARM and knew very well what Xscale was. Looking deeper at RISC at WiKi:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RISC

We see that RISC although developed several places had a very strong endeavor at Berkley Computer Science Labs, both Sutardja's Alma Mater. This was going on in the early/mid '80s. The same time frame as Pantas and Sehat's text booking for their Phds in this field. They knew what they were buying and didn't spend to much time arranging the deal, 3 weeks.

INTC uses x86 which are CISC:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_instruction_set_computer

A link if you wish to compare:

http://cse.stanford.edu/class/sophomore-college/projects-00/risc/risccisc/

You can save power with MRVL processors for small pocket sized devices utilizing a much smaller battery demand. MRVL saw this and went to building WiFi, when all others went after Bluetooth. MRVL later saw that was a bit of an error in the large scale adaptation of blue, kind of like Beta and VHS tapes. The Betamax was superior, but the VHS got the market. It was a lot easier for MRVL to develop Blue and even add it to their WiFi chips. We're still talking RISC/ARM etc. The WiMax has a greater range over WiFi, but WiFi is cheaper on both ends and already has market share much like VHS. The x86 or CISC applications use power, it's their nature. The WiFi is extremely cheap by comparisons and if one or two households set up an unmasked WiFi router on every block in town the entire town would be a hotspot. I've mentioned that the Telcos should do this in all of their TV set top boxes and cut the electric bill to the towers after they WiFi all of their offerings. That bill is probably almost what the cost of employees are. Even with the claims thus far with those MID or UMPC from ftc's link, none are going to have the operation times that can be given with MRVL's chips. Those gadgets are way cool and I wouldn't mind having one. The larger screen is cool, but I don't want to carry one.

RISC are not just cellphone processors as most high end servers are likely to have them as well, but in looking at where the population of the critters are....small computing and mobile.

Yes WiMax will provide competition by providing an alternative broadband connection with greater range, but it's expensive to build and run. Perhaps in the same perspective as flash competing with HDD.

Sure hope this post will fit thru the wire, Sorry.