Replies to post #151093 on Intel Corp (INTC)

[Koog]

I no longer have enough visibility of the internal workings at Intel to comment on many of your specific questions. I can only see the results. Which are dismal.

The board usually has a major hand in setting a firm's strategic direction. That's why I mentioned replacing the board. They have done a horrible job.

ANYONE could have done a better job than Krzanich.

Intel needs a CEO with the vision to set a proper course and the stones to pull it off. Who is that? Hell if I know.

[borusa]

(4) The other bizarre thing yesterday is that the Microsoft server move to ARM hardly impacted AMD stock price. Though this is peripheral to Intel, shouldn't this Microsoft "move" impact AMD heavily as well? I ask this because I am left wondering how much role the hedge funds or other big investors have in promoting this rumor as a big strike against Intel.

ML and AI are the sweet spot for ARM and also RISC V. X86 just has too much baggage. AMD started working on an ARM project before 2014, but it must have been shelved. There has been no announcement to cancel. I don't know if or not AMD is working with MS.

I would characterize the situation: ARMy is outside the mote but building something that Apple, Amazon and Google are already tweaking to their uses. I don't think they are identical, but doesn't matter because they do the software along with the HW. Mostly they seem to be doing voice stuff, maybe video as in youtube. Oh, also targeting the advertising.

X86 and CISC are not the answer to everything. Especially when the process is, what's the word, lagging?

[alan81]

The software moat for Intel went away a while ago. Now they need to compete on power, performance, price, and brand. In the last couple of years they are not doing so well there, but there are many new products in the pipeline that may (or may not) correct things.

Given the breadth of their technical team, they need to generate specialized high performance products for the high volume market segments. An example of this is the 10nm snow ridge 5G server that has been shipping for about a year now.

I think some people figured out the AMD problem... down 4.5% while the Nas is up 1.5%. It was just a delayed reaction.

I struggle with the CEO question. In the old days Intel had a laser focus, but this resulted in the inability to enter new markets and cost them dearly. It resulted in the failure to enter the cell phone market and the GPU market. In the new Intel they are more successful entering new markets, but their execution is much worse. Now that they have solved the culture problems that inhibited the ability to grow, they need to get back to a CEO that can drive execution.
Just my two cents,
Alan