FTC sues Intel, aims to shape the GPU market

[QuietIce]

Apparently Intel is back at it. After utilizing several shady business practices to stay alive during the Pent 4 era, Intel is now doing the same thing with respect to it's poor graphics. According to the Federal Trade Commission:

"Intel sells its Atom CPU bundled with a graphics chipset. Some OEMs purchased the bundle from Intel, discarded Intel’s inferior graphics chipset and chose instead to use Intel’s Atom CPU with the Nvidia graphics chipset. To combat this competition, Intel charged those OEMs significantly higher prices because they used a non-Intel graphics chipset or GPU. Intel would offer the bundled pricing only to OEMs that would then use the Intel chipset in the end-product and not use a competitive product."
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=28597&tag=nl.e589

Things don't seem to have changed much at Intel - the corporate line still seems to be "If we can't out-design them then we'll simply use our industry muscle to stifle them". :rolleyes:


At least this time someone is paying attention and trying to do something about it before the other guy gets totally hosed like AMD was ...

[Bobnova]

Yup, that's Intel alright.
Maybe Intel and Nvidia can reach a settlement like Intel and AMD did, Intel gives nvidia a few % of their budget and promises they won't keep doing the stuff they've been doing for 30 years.

[Kuroimaho]

I am glad to see this happen, hated how they force that junk on people.

[bing]

Finally, and hopefully this will boost the confident for other platforms such as ARM based to penetrate deeper in the netbook market.

[nightelph]

^ Seriously. I expected more netbook competition by now.. even a Cyrix maybe. ;)

[Bobnova]

^ Seriously. I expected more netbook competition by now.. even a Cyrix maybe. ;)

Windows doesn't run on ARMs, that seriously limits the adoption rate.
The $90-120 ARM netbooks that are coming out in 2010 should help get ARMs into the hands of the public though, at that price even i could buy a couple :D

[QuietIce]

If it can't Fold or Crunch then what good is it ...??? ;)

[nightelph]

N/M guess Cyrix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrix) was absorbed.

[Bobnova]

I bet it could, probably not that fast, but still :P

Wonder if the linux BOINC client could make it fly.

EDIT:
Yeah, Cyrix got eaten, they never really managed to deal with the Pentium. In the 486 days (and earlier) they did pretty decently, but their only Pentium class CPUs were hot, power hungry, and under powered. It was sad to see 'em go, i really liked their green heatsinks :D

[QuietIce]

I switched to AMD only after Cyrix bit the dust ...

[RoC1909]

Well, if Intel didn't design a inferior graphic product, then "maybe", people would think more highly of them hence, purchase the product. I understand the fact that since Intel pretty much owns the CPU market, they would want to corner the GPU market as well. But what Intel ought to do is stick to what they know best.....CPU and chipsets. I just don't understand why companies ALWAYS feel the need to branch out to areas were they think they should and in the end, end up hurting the consumers and the stockholders.

[killem2]

the only thing that annoys me is, Intel does so well at designing great CPUs, they have the back in money bags for it, why not truly try and design graphics cores? :shrug: :cry:

[CompuTamer]

I switched to AMD only after Cyrix bit the dust ...

Are you going to move to Intel after AMD finally dies...?

[freeagent]

Why would AMD die??

They have been doing alright. More then alright, I think..

[killem2]

Are you going to move to Intel after AMD finally dies...?

I don't see amd going anywhere. If anything Intel would want AMD around. If Intel is the only game in town, the FTC and every other government in the world that has monopoly laws will be all over them.

[QuietIce]

Are you going to move to Intel after AMD finally dies...? http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif .................................................. ..................................... http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif .....................................


.................................................. ...... http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif


....................... http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif .............................................. http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif


.. http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif .................................................. .................................................. ... http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif


...................................... http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif


.................................................. .. http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif ........................ http://home.roadrunner.com/~rm23u2nd76g12/rofl2.gif

[glussier]

Yep, how great it is, Nvidia the king of gpu's rebadging, the company who artificially limits the use of sli to their own chipset and charging $5.00 a pop to oem motherboard builders to enable sli on Nehalem, is sponsoring this lawsuit. The most honest company in the world today, Nvidia thinks that it is unfair for Intel to give a rebate when a customer is buying a cpu and chipset in a bundle, but find it totally honest to charge $5.00 to unlock sli on 1 motherboard.

[QuietIce]

Apparently you didn't even read the posted quote. Let me highlight it for you so there will be no misunderstanding ...


"Intel would offer the bundled pricing only to OEMs that would then use the Intel chipset in the end-product and not use a competitive product."


In other words purchasing both the CPU and chipset isn't enough to get a bundled discount, you have to also USE the chipset in your end product. If you buy the bundle then toss the chipset in the trash or use it somewhere else then Intel won't give you the discount. How would you like it if Newegg did that??? What if Newegg somehow required you to put all the hardware/software from a bundled package into one computer instead of using some of it in another machine or selling it off to cover some of your expense ...?

[glussier]

Apparently you didn't even read the posted quote. Let me highlight it for you so there will be no misunderstanding ...


"Intel would offer the bundled pricing only to OEMs that would then use the Intel chipset in the end-product and not use a competitive product."


In other words purchasing both the CPU and chipset isn't enough to get a bundled discount, you have to also USE the chipset in your end product. If you buy the bundle then toss the chipset in the trash or use it somewhere else then Intel won't give you the discount. How would you like it if Newegg did that??? What if Newegg somehow required you to put all the hardware/software from a bundled package into one computer instead of using some of it in another machine or selling it off to cover some of your expense ...?

I've read the whole text. Since when is this fact? This will have to be proven in court first.

[Xtreme Barton]

someone take a stab at this ... how much do you think they still made vs. the amount they will be fined ?

[QuietIce]

someone take a stab at this ... how much do you think they still made vs. the amount they will be fined ? Wrong question. The question is "How much will they make if they're allowed to continue?" and either way it's a good question. In the previous and pending cases concerning CPUs form 2002-2006 I'm sure they made millions if not billions more than the fines and settlement costs they eventually had to shell out. What's the dollar amount on even 1/10 of 1% of the world market for CPUs or GPUs?


I've read the whole text. Since when is this fact? This will have to be proven in court first. If someone is convected of robbery do they really have the same chance of being innocent the second or third time they're indicted for robbery ...?

[Xtreme Barton]

well it makes sense finacially for the company ... but doesnt look good

its like j walking to them .. but after so many you'd think the stakes would get higher

eventually people will get smart and go after the people who make the decision to do it not just the company .. until then.. strap on your seat belt baby

[glussier]

If someone is convected of robbery do they really have the same chance of being innocent the second or third time they're indicted for robbery ...?



This is a totally different cases.

Amd had their chances, to increase their market share in 2006. When Dell started buying AMD cpus, AMD screwed all their eoms, because they couldn't manufacture enough cpus for all their oem + Dell.

[QuietIce]

[snip] eventually people will get smart and go after the people who make the decision to do it not just the company .. until then.. strap on your seat belt baby "Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility."
- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

[Xtreme Barton]

"Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility."
- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary


haha perfect

[QuietIce]

This is a totally different cases. Sure it is. This time they're accused of stealing the surround sound system instead of the TV. :p

Amd had their chances, to increase their market share in 2006. When Dell started buying AMD cpus, AMD screwed all their eoms, because they couldn't manufacture enough cpus for all their oem + Dell. :rolleyes: Ya, we'll just forget all the lost profit of the previous four years - that's convenient. :rolleyes:


And notice how Intel changed tactics just as C2D was coming out. How generous of them ... :grouphug:

[wingman99]

:pics::chair:

[Xtreme Barton]

here

.

[QuietIce]

LOL!

[senorbum]

the only thing that annoys me is, Intel does so well at designing great CPUs, they have the back in money bags for it, why not truly try and design graphics cores? :shrug: :cry:

There are many, many very good business reasons for not doing so.

One is that maybe they are saving their money for other future investments that they think will be far more profitable. If SSDs take off (which at some point they probably will, at least to an extent) they are going to be positioned to make a lot of money there.

[Xtreme Barton]

well intel is already way ahead of what we see now .. all they are doing is waiting for the market to tap out on the current products then they release th next thing .. they could simply jump over the next few things in line they have but it wouldn't make sense financially .. i wouldnt doubt that intel has people over at AMD working undercover :D secret spy intelligence type stuff .. ready to counter every move