Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[chipguy]

am i wrong to think that we NEED AMD around?

Not really. Intel's biggest competitor to selling a new chip
is the old Intel chip in a system the customer already has.
AMD or no AMD, if Intel doesn't keep producing ever faster,
cooler, and more featured microprocessors that offer better
performance/cost and performance/power its sales would
be mainly for the replacement of broken down systems, a
tiny fraction of current sales levels which would leave Intel's
fabs grossly underutilized. AMD's continued existence is
no more vital to the industry than that of MOS Technology
or DEC Semiconductor.