Gawker: valleywag, chips

AMD accuses Intel of microprocessor payola

Jackson West — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:20:00 EDT

Struggling chipmaker AMD has added a new allegation to the company's antitrust complaint against rival chipmaker Intel. In a 108-page document filed in federal court, plaintiff AMD accused defendant Intel of paying manufacturers like Dell not to use AMD processors, citing internal emails and other documents which were turned over through the discovery process in the case. AMD has been struggling, having laid off thousands in the last few months. CEO Hector Ruiz, pictured here, is expected to make a major announcement today in Austin, Texas, possibly splitting up the company into separate chip-design and chip-fabrication businesses.

AMD CEO's "Business Class" brand gambit

Owen Thomas — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Is Hector Ruiz launching AMD into the business of making PCs? Not exactly. But after getting pummeled by Intel in 2007, the chipmaker wants to have more of a hand in designing them. It's no longer enough to sell chips, a field in which AMD excels technically; one must sell "chipsets" — entire ready-to-go packages of computing parts, including all the silicon a computer needs. Dell, HP, and others will actually manufacture AMD's new "Business Class" desktops and notebooks.

The new branding effort will solve a problem of AMD's own making; with the purchase of ATI, a graphics-chip company, AMD signaled that it was more interested in winning business from videogamers and other consumers. Intel, meanwhile, remained the safe choice for companies to buy; no purchasing executive would blink at approving an order for PCs with Intel inside.

For years, Ruiz tried to beat Intel on technical prowess alone — "multicore" chips, "hyperthreading," and so on. That worked for a while: People were so amazed that AMD, long an Intel copycat, was beating its rival, that they bought more chips, perhaps out of the sheer novelty of it all. That Ruiz is now thinking about how his chips are packaged and sold is wise. But late.

(Photoillustration via Hexus)

T.J. Rodgers, I have someone you should talk to.

ndouglas — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 20:58:28 EDT

T.J. Rodgers: Silicon chip mogul. Solar cell maker. Government grant receiver. Wait...that's where I've seen him!

Left: T.J. Rodgers, who wants government grants for his energy company. Right: Matthew Lesko, who sells government grants on late-night TV.

Dude. It's like Outer Limits.

Forget Computers. Here Comes the Sun. [NYT]
Matthew Lesko Government Grants [MatthewLesko.com]