An inflection point is a change where the effects are NOT OBVIOUS, but that said, you are right, AMD has affected Intel in a big way. But it is like the price war that AMD started by diving into the low end market (sub $500) about 1998.
What, the best you may have done is the same thing in the Server market. But remember, Intel is the volume low cost producer. IF at 32 bit, Opteron is not more than 15% faster than Pentium or Xeon, and costs more to produce, Intel will have the equivalent of the CeleronA selling for about $800.
The war will be fought at 32 bit single core. This is all that matters. Dual core, Hyperthreading, 32-64 are really server tecnologies. Intel believes that the incremental improvement at 32 bit is AT THE PRESENT TIME A WASTE OF MONEY.
AMD does not.
In the greater glory of mankind, when corporate america is faced with a choice of 32-64 on the desktop with no software for two years at $800 CPU cost, a pop, rubber will, as we say, meet the road.
Politely put, it may be that AMD is too far ahead of its time, too advanced, ahead of the window, so to speak.
Perhaps now is again the time to quote The Kingston Trio from the song, Coplas:
"Do not muddy the water around you, you may have to drink it soon." (I will for brevity's sake, skip the Spanish translation)
I know AMD has no choice but to go for this middle market, but I think intel kinda knows that this time....it's not different, but the same. :))
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