Microprocessor
Headline News

Top Stories for November 18, 1999 (details below)
C/Net	Via to release cut-rate processor early next year
Electronic Buyers' News	AMD plans 2000 overhaul of desktop, mobile MPU lines
C/Net	Details emerging on secretive start-up Transmeta
IT Director	Torvalds, Transmeta and the Intel Killer? Have your say in the Community
Computer Reseller News	Intel Struggles To Meet Chip Demand
SiliconValley.com	Intel repeats Q4 demand beyond its supply, shrs slip
The Register Files
The Register	Intel vs Via. Trumpets sound in battle of Jericho
The Register	Caminogate III: i820 Rambus problem still a mystery
The Register	Intel confirms OR840 late...
The Register	AMD unveils K6-2 Plus, K6-III Plus mobile CPUs
The Register	Pentium III-800 brought forward to Q1 of next year
Today's Related Stories
Electronic Buyers' News	Via Technologies' Samuel microprocessor to anchor 2000 chip lineup

Microprocessor Headline News

Collected By Robert R. Collins

Week of November 14, 1999

Older News

November 18, 1999
Via to release cut-rate processor early next year By Michael Kanellos November 17, 1999 C/Net	Via Technologies will release its first microprocessor for low-cost PCs by the end of January, company executives said today, opening a new round in its duel with Intel. Code-named Joshua, the processor will run at clock speeds of 433 MHz, 466 MHz and 500 MHz. More important, it will fit into the same circuit boards as Intel's Celeron processor, making the chip the first Celeron clone. A new generation of chips will follow in the third quarter, company executives said at the Comdex trade show here today.	See Today's Related Stories
AMD plans 2000 overhaul of desktop, mobile MPU lines By Mark Hachman November 17, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	Betting on the strength of its 0.18-micron process technology, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. next year will overhaul its entire K6 and Athlon microprocessor portfolio. A week after it disclosed details about the Athlon and its successors, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based chip maker Tuesday at the Comdex show in Las Vegas confirmed that it is producing enhanced versions of both the older K6-2 and K6-III processors that will be specially designed for the mobile market. AMD also demonstrated an air-cooled 900-MHz Ahtlon.
Details emerging on secretive start-up Transmeta By Jim Davis November 17, 1999 C/Net	More clues about Transmeta, one of the most secretive companies in Silicon Valley, are slowly becoming available, including the name of its first processors. While details about its first products are still sketchy, the chip company evidently has decided on a name for them: Crusoe. The Crusoe processors will be targeted at mobile applications, according to the company's recently revised Web page.
Torvalds, Transmeta and the Intel Killer? Have your say in the Community November 17, 1999 IT Director	Transmeta is a company that is currently surrounded in mystery. It is an interesting company for several reasons. It is four years old, with VC investors that include among others, Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures and the Soros Funds. The CEO is David Ditzel, an ex-VP from Sun Microsystems and the company is rumoured to have a valuation (based on VC funding) of over $100 million. It also employs the most famous programmer in the world, Linus Torvalds - father of Linux and Microsoft nemesis. However Linus is not saying exactly what he is doing for Transmeta only that it has "not a lot to do with Linux" - not exactly very open for the driving force behind the open software movement.
Intel Struggles To Meet Chip Demand By Marcia Savage November 17, 1999 Computer Reseller News	Intel Corp. is scrambling to meet demand for its chips but expects tight supplies to loosen up by the end of the year, the company said. "Demand is greater than supply at the moment, but we should work through that during the course of Q4," a company spokesman said. Demand is high across the company's product line, including CPUs and chipsets, he said, adding that Intel will meet all its booked backlog from its customers this quarter, but cannot fulfill new orders.
Intel repeats Q4 demand beyond its supply, shrs slip November 17, 1999 SiliconValley.com	Intel Corp. said it has been seeing stronger than expected fourth-quarter demand for its computer chips and reiterated comments that it would have trouble filling orders beyond its existing commitments. ``We built for a seasonally strong fourth quarter,'' Intel spokesman Michael Sullivan said. ``The reality is that it's stronger even than that,'' he said, referring to demand outstripping the supply of chips manufactured at its plants.
The Register Files
Intel vs Via. Trumpets sound in battle of Jericho By Mike Magee November 17, 1999 The Register	In the next week or so, Via, First International Corporation (FIC), KMS and Everex will have the chance to respond to litigation initiated by Intel. The Intel legal action focuses on allegations that the above companies have infringed on its patents. Via was sued earlier in the year by Intel over what is supposed to be a completely separate set of alleged patent infringements.
Caminogate III: i820 Rambus problem still a mystery By Mike Magee November 17, 1999 The Register	Despite an intensive search to find out why the Camino i820 chipset does not work with three Rambus RIMMs, engineers have still no real idea what the problem is, although Intel claims the problem is not in the chipset. That means that there is no absolute guarantee that the i820 chipset will work with two RIMMs, according to sources close to Intel, although the two RIMM version has been exhaustively tested.
Intel confirms OR840 late... By Mike Magee November 17, 1999 The Register	The boxed Intel motherboard which supports the i840 workstation/server chipset is delayed, according to information at the company's site. Intel launched the i840 on the 25th of October and its partner Rambus Ink, heralded the OR840 motherboard on its Web site the same day. The two firms made a song and a dance about the i840 and the associated mobo because here was a chipset, using Rambus memory, which actually worked.
AMD unveils K6-2 Plus, K6-III Plus mobile CPUs By Tony Smith November 17, 1999 The Register	AMD announced yesterday that it is developing mobile-oriented versions of its popular K6-2 and not-so-popular K6-III processors. Based on its 0.18 micron process, the new chips will feature a built in power-saving mechanism, codenamed Gemini. AMD didn't reveal how many Watts the technology will conserve. Gemini allows users to switch the chips into one of three different states to best balance an application's need for speed against the host PC's battery life.
Pentium III-800 brought forward to Q1 of next year By Mike Magee November 17, 1999 The Register	A report on a US wire said that Intel will bring the launch date of an 800MHz Coppermine Pentium III forward to the first quarter of next year. The Intel roadmap had this processor slated to appear in quarter two, said Pat Gelsinger, a senior VP at Intel, according to PC Week. And Intel has also acknowledged the shortages of many of the Coppermine parts it announced in October, as reported here a day after the launch.
Today's Related Stories
Via Technologies' Samuel microprocessor to anchor 2000 chip lineup By Mark Hachman November 17, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	While the industry will judge Via Technologies Inc. on the strength of its Joshua microprocessor, its successor, a new product code-named Samuel, will usher the Taiwan company into the thick of the fray. After purchasing both Integrated Device Technology Inc.'s Centaur Technology microprocessor division, and Cyrix Corp. this summer, Via culled a number of Cyrix marketing executives and left the Centaur design teams essentially intact. According to Wen-Chi Chen, president of Via, Taipei, Taiwan, the disparate Texan design teams from both companies are now beginning to pull together on joint projects.
November 17, 1999
Direct Rambus systems ready to roll By Jack Robertson November 16, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	After waiting more than six months for the introduction of Direct Rambus DRAM following its initial delay in March, a number of computer makers rolled out high-end platforms this week supporting the new memory interface. Hoping that the market will reward their perseverance, Compaq Computer Corp., Dell Computer Corp., and Hewlett-Packard Co. separately introduced workstations using Direct RDRAM memory and the Intel 820 chipset.
No changes made to Intel's 820 after eight-week delay By J. Robert Lineback November 16, 1999 Semiconductor Business News	Intel Corp. opted this week to introduce its delayed 820 chip set with no changes to the design or the Direct Rambus inline memory modules (RIMMs). The company said it had determed that motherboard configurations with two RIMMs would not encounter errors. In late September, Intel and its 820 customers were surprised to find signal integrity problems in PC systems with three-RIMM configurations. The launch of the 820--code named "Camino"--was delayed for eight weeks while Intel analyzed the problem. On Monday, Intel introduced the 820 and said all major PC manufacturers are expected to be shipping products based on the chip set within the next 30 days (see Nov. 15 story).
Pentium III shortage to be fixed in early 2000 By Anne Knowles November 16, 1999 PC Week Online	The tight supply of Pentium III processors won't loosen up until early next year, according to Intel Corp. "We are meeting our backlog," said Pat Gelsinger, vice president and general manager of the Santa Clara, Calif., company's Desktop Products Group. "[Supply] will be tight through the first quarter, and by the second quarter we should be able to start meeting [our customers'] upside requests." PC makers have been reporting constraints in the supply of Pentium III, particularly at the top end of the recently announced processors. Those chips, known collectively by the code name Coppermine, run as high as 733MHz. Pentium IIIs running at 600MHz and above are also the first processors Intel has manufactured using the .18 micron process.
Transmeta's Unconventional Chip November 17, 1999 Excite.com	An "unconventional" new microprocessor will be revealed by start-up company Transmeta next January, the company has said, ending months of fevered speculation. The Silicon Valley firm has kept its collective lips tightly sealed about what exactly it is developing. But rumours began to reach fever pitch when Linus Torvalds, the Finnish creator of the free GNU Linux operating system, joined the company's staff.
Torvalds Discusses His Other Project Linux Founder Talks--A Bit--About Secretive Transmeta By Paula Rooney November 16, 1999 Computer Reseller News	Linux pioneer Linus Torvalds shed some light on his other big project at Comdex here Monday. The Finnish programmer, well known for his role as creator and guardian of the Linux kernel, told Comdex attendees that the highly secretive microprocessor company he works for, Transmeta Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif, will formally unveil in early 2000 a "Smart CPU" with built-in software that is aimed at mobile use. He did not specify the name of the product but steered attendees to the company Web site. Transmeta's Crusoe Processor, which is slated to be unveiled on January 19, 2000, is unusual in that it ships with software included. According to the Santa Clara, Calif. company's recently launched site: "We rethought the microprocessor to create a whole new world of mobility."
Linux creator offers sneak peak at goal of processor startup By Mark Hachman November 16, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	Linux operating system creator Linus Torvalds offered further details of his chip startup, Transmeta Corp., during a Comdex keynote speech here. Some of hints are also contained on the company's web site in a hidden message. Transmeta, a Silicon Valley startup, will fully disclose its plans on Jan. 19, Torvalds said during his speech. The company's first chip, code-named Crusoe, will be a "smart CPU-the first microprocessor built with software."
The Register Files
So why is Intel's Coppermine good? By Mike Magee November 16, 1999 The Register	Many readers have reacted to stories about Intel's Coppermine .18 micron process by saying: "So what's go good about that?". There are several answers to this question and an Intel representative has given us the company answer to the question. Without baffling our readers with technical details they may or may not wish to know, this is why it is important that consumers know whether the 500MHz Coppermine PCs they might be thinking of buying are better than the old .25 micron technology.
November 16, 1999
Transmeta comes into focus By Lawrence Aragon and Phil Harvey November 12, 1999 Red Herring	Only a select few know exactly what chip developer Transmeta is developing. That's why Monday's Comdex keynote is one of the most anticipated in recent memory. Pundits predict Linus Torvalds, Linux operating system creator and Transmeta software engineer, will let the cat out of the bag. That's not the plan. But don't despair -- there's good news. Redherring.com has learned details about Transmeta, including its pending patents, venture backers, IPO plans, and when it expects to really discuss what it's doing.
Drilling deeper into Torvalds's Transmeta By Lawrence Aragon and Phil Harvey November 13, 1999 Red Herring	Super-secretive Transmeta is developing hand-held devices that demonstrate the power of a new-fangled microprocessor architecture, Redherring.com has learned. Since we published a story about Transmeta's plans Thursday, Redherring.com has gleaned even more revealing information about Transmeta, its product plans, and how its focus has changed over time. The company's ultimate aim is to overcome Intel's crushing grip on the chip market for mobile devices.
After many delays, Rambus PCs are released 4 By Stephen Shankland and Joe Wilcox November 15, 1999 C/Net	The timing is bittersweet, but PC makers today finally introduced computers using the much-delayed, next-generation Rambus memory. The launch is sweet for manufacturers looking to offer customers better performance, particularly on commercial desktops and workstations. But it is bitter because of the long delay getting Intel's 820 chipset, which is essential for making Rambus memory work on desktop PCs. Compaq Computer, Dell Computer and IBM today introduced new workstations at the Comdex trade show here using the 820 and another chipset, the 840, though the chipsets still aren't shipping in volume.
Comdex: DDR, Direct Rambus hold coming out parties in Las Vegas By Jack Robertson November 15, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	The Fall Comdex show opening today in Las Vegas will serve as the launching pad for competing high-speed memory interfaces, as rival double-data-rate SDRAM and Direct Rambus DRAM begin their final countdown into the market. DDR will get a boost when third-party chipset maker Via Technologies Inc. discloses that it has licensed the DDR-enabled Samurai core-logic chipset from Micron Technology Inc., industry sources said.
Via Technologies licenses DDR chip set design from Micron By Jack Robertson November 15, 1999 Semiconductor Business News	The double-data-rate SDRAM format for high-speed memory interface will get a boost this week at Fall Comdex when Via Technologies Inc. discloses a licensing agreement for the DDR-enabled Samurai chip set design from Micron Technology Inc. The deal signal's Via's entrance into the DDR marketplace. Prior to the opening of the PC computer show here, Micron and Via executives confirmed the licensing agreement. According to sources, Taiwan's Via Technologies is expected to use the license to develop an expanded DDR-enabled device for production at its foundry partners.
Intel rolls out delayed 820 chip set for Direct Rambus DRAMs in PCs November 15, 1999 Semiconductor Business News	After an eight-week delay, Intel Corp. today launched its awaited 820 chip set for Pentium III-based desktop PCs using Direct Rambus DRAMs. The introduction comes after PC makers discovered a signal-integrity glitch that derailed the 820's introduction in late September. But now, Intel said its "Camino" chip set is ready for the commercial markets. The company maintained that all major PC makers are expected to be shipping products based on the 820 chip set within the next 30 days. The chip set is priced at $42.50 in 10,000-unit quantities.
The Register Files
Torvalds confirms Transmeta 19 January 2000 'D-Day' By Tony Smith November 15, 1999 The Register	Transmeta will spill the beans on 19 January 2000, the company's most famous employee, Linus 'Linux' Torvalds, revealed today. That's the day on which the secretive chip company will come clean on what it's been up to. Torvalds revealed the date during his Comdex keynote -- a talk that centred on how the IT industry has finally "got the point" about open source software, and touched on Transmeta just once. His statement confirms a report last week which claimed that 19 January would be D-Day for Transmeta.
First Merced-Itanium systems get cobbled together By Mike Magee November 15, 1999 The Register	The first samples of Intel Merced silicon have started to reach technologists and prototype IA-64 based PC systems are currently in the labs. According to sources close to Intel's plans, the company has managed to clock the Merced-Itanic to respectable and high clock speeds, but currently heat dissipation and power consumption are issues for manufacturers.
November 15, 1999
Intel targeting high-end servers By Tom Quinlan November 13, 1999 San Jose Mercury News	For the past two decades, Intel Corp. has defined the ``brains'' for the personal computer with its standardized microprocessors. Now, the Santa Clara company is trying to make sure it also controls the most important chip technologies for the next 20 years. To achieve that goal, Intel is racing to reinvent itself, adding networking and communications chips to its core business and even dabbling in Internet services.
Intel Prepping Release Of i820 Chipset By Paul McDougall November 12, 1999 InformationWeek	When Intel releases its long-awaited, much-delayed i820 chipset Monday, it will have the support of several PC-makers who are planning to use the technology in their newest PCs. Intel will also be deflecting questions raised today by a Wall Street analyst who questioned the company's IA-64 strategy and said its i820 plan is in "disarray." IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Compaq are planning full support of the i820 chipset. Sources say that Compaq on Monday will unveil four new additions to its DeskPro line that incorporate the i820 chipset. Prices will start at about $2,500 for configurations based on a 600-MHz Pentium III Coppermine chip, with 128 Mbytes of RDRAM and a 13.5-Gbyte hard drive. At the same time, IBM will add the i820 chipset as an option for its PC 300PL desktops and Intellistation E Pro workstations. Meanwhile, HP will unveil new versions of its Vectra PCs and Kayak workstations that incorporate the new chipset.
Coppermine Pentium IIIs tough to find By Michael Kanellos November 11, 1999 C/Net	Intel announced its newest Pentium III processors more than two weeks ago, but so far they haven't been easy to find. Nearly all major PC manufacturers and a number of retailers claim there is a dearth of "Coppermine" Pentium III processors, especially the fast 700-MHz and 733-MHz versions. Individuals at two leading PC companies say they barely have enough of the 733-MHz chips to perform testing or make review systems. Smaller manufacturers and chip dealers aren't even advertising the 700-MHz and 733-MHz products, which were announced with 13 other processors on October 25.
PC manufacturers encountering Pentium III shortages By Ken Popovich November 12, 1999 PC Week Online	Computer users with a need for speed are apparently running into a speed bump. Major PC manufacturers are reporting shortages of Intel Corp.'s fastest processor, the 733MHz Pentium III, spurring some delays in PC deliveries. An executive at Micron Electronics Inc. said the shortage has become a daily frustration for him and is forcing the computer maker to "juggle a lot."
AMD: We will retake chip speed crown By Michael Kanellos and Stephen Shankland November 11, 1999 C/Net	AMD will regain the speed crown from rival chipmaker Intel with 750-MHz Athlon chips later this year and follow it up with a raft of speedier chips in 2000, AMD's chief executive said today amid a sudden wave of optimism for the often troubled company. The cavalcade of chips was announced today at a relatively upbeat AMD analyst's meeting at the company's headquarters here. Revenues will be above $800 million, stronger than expected for the fourth quarter, CEO Jerry Sanders and other executives said, on the strength of its microprocessor sales and sales of flash memory. Break-even for the company is $850 million, executives said.
AMD to introduce legacy-free platform By Mark Hachman November 12, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	Advanced Micro Devices Inc. will introduce what it terms the "EasyNow!" platform at Comdex next week. Based on the Easy PC guidelines developed by Compaq Computer Corp., Intel Corp., and Microsoft Corp., EasyNow! is AMD's own spin on a PC without legacy ISA bus slots. Expansion is handled via USB plugs, not add-on cards.
AMD plans to ship 5 million PC processors in Q4 to break even November 12, 1999 Semiconductor Business News	Advanced Micro Devices Inc. believes it could hit its goal of breaking even in the fourth quarter if the company reaches a target of shipping 800,000 Athlon microprocessors and selling $250 million worth of flash memory chips in the final three months of this year. AMD chairman and CEO W.J. Sanders III told financial analysts at a briefing here Thursday that his company currently expects to hit these goals in the quarter, barring unforeseen events or disruptions in the supply chain. He said AMD expects shortages of flash memories to continue in the marketplace in the foreseeable future.
Intel drops on Merrill Lynch downgrade By Michael Kanellos November 12, 1999 C/Net	Shares in chip giant Intel fell today following a downgrade of its stock by Merrill Lynch. The company's stock closed down 3.25 points to 76.19. Merrill analyst Joe Osha downgraded the stock to near term "accumulate" from near-term "buy." The news comes just as the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker received federal regulatory approval to acquire wireless chipmaker DSP Communications.
The Register Files
AMD, Kryotech cooperate over 1GHz Athlon at Comdex By Mike Magee November 14, 1999 The Register	Kryotech, the cryogenic cooling company, will demo a commercial AMD Athlon system running at 1GHz at Comdex on Tuesday. The Super G system will be used in a number of commercial machines, including Carrera, as we reported two weeks ago. Kryotech said it will demo the system at Booth #L1963 at Comdex on Tuesday.
Intel's Rambus mobo may have memory bundled By Mike Magee November 13, 1999 The Register	The Intel Cape Cod (SDRAM) board, known as the CC820 will be released to the world at next week's Comdex. But the world will have to wait until December before it can plug and play with Intel's VC820 (Vancouver) motherboard. Intel, will, however, attempt to jump start its entry into the mass Rambus market by bundling 64Mb of Direct RDRAM with the Vancouver mobo, when it is ready to be sold in boxes, according to dealers familiar with the company's plans.
How to moan to the FTC about Intel By Mike Magee November 12, 1999 The Register	The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is referring all enquiries about alleged antitrust activity to the FTC. And it is being extraordinarily helpful in its advice for complainants, providing US citizens with email addresses and phone numbers. One reader got the following response from the DoJ, when he emailed their complaint line about behaviour he felt needed investigation.
AMD, Intel in shares see-saw By Mike Magee November 12, 1999 The Register	The share price of AMD fell by a couple of bucks this morning after its precipitous ramp yesterday. But it did not drop as much as Intel's price, which fell by over five dollars after Merrill Lynch issued a warning on the stocks. Merrill Lynch has shoved Intel down a notch to "accumulate" rather than "buy", following yesterday's news from AMD. Other Wall Street analysts are now promoting AMD as a buy, following reports from the firm that it could break even in Q4.

Microprocessor Headline News

Week of November 14, 1999

November 18, 1999

Torvalds, Transmeta and the Intel Killer? Have your say in the Community

The Register Files

November 17, 1999

Torvalds Discusses His Other Project Linux Founder Talks--A Bit--About Secretive Transmeta

The Register Files

November 16, 1999

The Register Files

November 15, 1999

The Register Files

Microprocessor
Headline News

Torvalds, Transmeta and the Intel Killer?
Have your say in the Community

Torvalds Discusses His Other Project
Linux Founder Talks--A Bit--About Secretive Transmeta