On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched an invasion to free Western Europe from the evil Nazis.
Sixty-two years later, AMD will launch the AM2 platform to free the world from evil Intel.
I don’t think the choice of date was accidental.
Unfortunately, this D-Day looks more like an invasion to free extra cash from your evil wallet and this is why.
Unless there are further delays, 65nm chips will be introduced within about six months from D-Day. While a process shrink isn’t as significant as it once was, it still should nonetheless yield some performance boost.
If “the new AMD” holds to form, the initial AM2 CPUs will be initially priced sky high, just like the first Hammers, maybe with the lowest price being around $400.
Once the 65nm chips are ready, the initial offerings will be discounted, lower-speed models will be introduced, and the 65nm chips will assume the sky-high role.
The goal is to maximize the amount of money extracted from those without a patience gene, those who do act like extra cash in the wallet is evil.
This D-Day comes around the time when the typical United States income tax refund check shows up, and I don’t think that’s accidental, either.
Something else to keep in mind is that dual-core Semprons will show up sometime after D-Day. We may find out in the next few months that they’ve been extra-crippled, but given that they’ll be on the same socket platform, they may offer excellent bang-for-the-buck.
Before you write and tell me how wise this is, just how wise is it if Intel doesn’t do the same thing? Lately, it’s been Intel that’s been introducing products across the boards, in all price ranges, and they’ll have their Conroes out shortly thereafter.
I hope I’m wrong, but somehow I doubt it. I know, I keep riffing on this same theme, but it’s so depressing to see marketeers so obviously exploiting people’s need to feel important (and it’s not just AMD, hell, it’s not just the computer industry), then have the victims defend the victimizers when you point it out.
Making the played feel like players, that’s all it is.
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