AMD job cuts

[lobe]

AMD is struggling. Bummer. I don't know what we will do if Intel is unopposed. VIA/cyrix hasn't seemed capable of filling a void if AMD can't make it.

I am curious for people's HONEST assessment of their experience. I have one intel system (PIII800 on a tyan trinity 400), and one AMD system (1ghz athlon on an abit k7ta-raid). I use both frequently. My HONEST experience is that I haven't been able to tell any differences in stability;or compatibility with components. How about you? And then WHY is AMD having such a struggle making it?

Thanks.

 

[jeebus19]

Ive been using amds for the last 3 or 4 years and have been very happy with them but i dont know if i were to switch over to a pentium I would like it better i had for about a week a celeron 566 but i didnt find it to be very stable when overclocked as compared to the amds. I think the biggest problem for amd is lack of support in the Big outlets. I work at Future shop in canada In the Music and software department and when i wander over to the computer dept. I hear quite a few customers who see the amd units and go who wants a Duron or Atholn What the hell is that. So my guess is lack of Intel mass maketing is what is killing them.

 

[Ameesh]

i have 2 intel systems and a 950 thunderbird system, i bought the tbird under a strong endorsement of a firend but the damn thing is soo slow, i cant get my sound cards working with its just a pain in the ass in general.

honestly i wont buy another amd system again, but im sure plenty of you have gotten your rigs to run fine but i have done clean installs of on my tbird and the damn thing runs like a dog, (both win2k and winxp)

 

[EagleKeeper]

1) Late to the party

2) Previous reputation

3) Intel marketing

4) Arrogance - no marketing

5) Arrogance - misread what consumers look for (Brand Name recognition and fast speed numbers)

 

[lobe]

I just tried to put sb live value cards in both systems. The amd system went fine. When windows tried to load the drivers for it, I kept getting a fatal exception error. Finally had to give up and put in the old creative card back in.

When I tried to load the latest via 4-in-1 drivers, I had no problems in the amd system, and for some reason the intel system would get hung up during the boot up and keep re-starting. Took my geforce mx card out, used an old ati pci video card, and it would boot right up. Had to re-load the old via drivers to get it work. Maybe this isn't anything related to intel. Maybe it's using a via chipset mobo.

 

[TranceNation]

yeah too many reliability and combatibility probs with AMD, that's why Gateway dropped them.

 

[Russ]

<< VIA/cyrix hasn't seemed capable of filling a void if AMD can't make it. >>



Geez, this place is so full of kids. AMD has been in business for 35 years and has been through plenty of down cycles. They aren't going away.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Russ]

<< yeah too many reliability and combatibility probs with AMD, that's why Gateway dropped them. >>



That's crap.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Budman]

99% of the problems with amd systems are between the keyboard & the chair.

 

[cherrytwist]

My first PC was an AMD K6 system that a friend built for me (prior to my pc-building era).

I've always owned AMD machines (currently I have 4 running, including that K6 system).

In fact I've never owned an Intel based system. It'd be a sad day if AMD died.

 

[trmiv]

<<

<< VIA/cyrix hasn't seemed capable of filling a void if AMD can't make it. >>



Geez, this place is so full of kids. AMD has been in business for 35 years and has been through plenty of down cycles. They aren't going away.

Russ, NCNE >>



You got that right. A company with its own fabs just does not disappear. Its actually 32 years though, founded in 1969 ( I went to the 25th aniversary party in 1994, fun). My mom has been there for 24 of those 32 years, and she says its a great company to work for. Hell, its a great company to have a familiy member work for too. I've been to two awesome employee and familiy only AMD parties. When I was 15 my mom got an employee service recognition trip from AMD, and took us all to Hawaii, paid for by AMD (damn 10 years ago already ).

Anyone who is counting on AMD to just go away is going to be disappointed. They have been around for a long time, and they have been through hard times, they will recover.

 

[StageLeft]

My only non-intel experience was with a K6-2/300. God how I hated that. I read everything here, had the best mobo, did everything I could but the thing just let me down every chance it had. I finally ditched it after two months for a Celeron 300A.

I have had a 286, 486, P200, K6-2 300, Celeron 300A, Celeron 533, P2 350. I have been thinking about trying AMD again but a friend recently had a terribly experience with a duron. I know that many people do well with AMD but one thing I have yet to hear is somebody bitching and whining about how crappy their intel system is. I still hear that with AMD. Whether its because some of us are unlucky, or simply don't give enough of a hoot to spend hours on end making sure our system works AMD has yet to instill the confidence in many of us that Intel has done.

Anyone who is counting on AMD to just go away is going to be disappointed. They have been around for a long time, and they have been through hard times, they will recover. They have been around a while, and they won't go away next year. However they may not last forever. Plenty of companies have been around for a few decades then go belly-up. Things change fast. 4 years ago most people laughed at AMD. A year ago it was the clear choice for an effective desktop system. Now? Yet again its #2. 3dfx went from nothing to king to dead in the period of several years.

 

[spidey07]

'thought AMD was closing two plants in Dallas?

yeah, they aren't going anywhere. The move is going to sting just a little bit, however temporary. Please keep in mind that ALL technology companies are taking a beating this year. Layoffs abound.

I'd like to know how much revenue the gateway departure will affect. 2%? 3%? 22%? have no idea.

 

[lobe]

Well, just to make it clear, I am FOR amd sticking around. I don't want to see what intel would be like and charge if there was not viable competition around. I suspect they would be like Microsoft is now.

I didn't know amd had been around for 32+ years. That's great. I just had seen how some other companies that had success in the marketplace in a few short years had just gone away, and was afraid it would happen to amd.

And one of the major reasons I had heard was less compatibility problems, yet that has not been my personal experience, so I was just asking others.

Russ, if the "kids" reference was to me, thanks. I'm 45 y.o. However, only into building my own systems for the past 2 years, so still figuring things out.

 

[trmiv]

<< A year ago it was the clear choice for an effective desktop system. Now? Yet again its #2. 3dfx went from nothing to king to dead in the period of several years. >>



3dfx is not really a comparision to AMD. Even at their peak, they weren't the size of AMD, nor did they own any fabs. Regardless of their FAB closings, AMD still owns and operates fabs, two of which are huge state of the art megafabs , one in Dresden and the other in Austin (fabs 25 and 30). Plus microprocessors are not their only business, they are a major player in the flash memory market.

 

[spidey07]

<< they are a major player in the flash memory market >>


and it is that market were the are hurting the most - demand for flash memory has fallen steeply this year.

AMD is just getting battered beyond belief economically. They'll pull through, hopefully. again - ALL TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES ARE FACING SLUMPING SALES.

 

[wnied]

Trmiv

The 3dfx reference was meant to show how one company who does their own fabs can go from top dog to sh!t in a matter of a few years. And Yes, they began doing their own fab work when they bought out STB systems. Putting their chips and namesake onto boards previously made by STB.
So in that light they are a comparable company.

wnied

 

[Jittos]

Yah, talkin about laying off, wonder if I can find a job after I graduate.

Today, there's career fair in my school, the AMD's booth is huge, hope they have plenty of spots for internship......

 

[Russ]

<< I'm 45 y.o. However, only into building my own systems for the past 2 years, so still figuring things out. >>



Damn, I take it back. You're a geezer! Bwuahahahahahahaha!!!!!

Russ, NCNE

 

[lobe]

Thanks, Russ. I'll make some smart remark back as soon as I take my geritol. There, now, what was I saying...

 

[tgillitzr]

keep in mind the two fabs they are shutting down are almost 20 years old

they don't make CPU's in those fabs, mostly networking stuff, and the technology in them is old by todays standards