I would agree with you in the near term. Tech stocks, particularly PC stocks, are getting beaten up badly: DELL, MRVL, HPQ.
I think these stocks will be a great opportunity when businesses restart PC purchases. Perhaps when windows 8 comes out? or when hiring finally picks up and office workers need new PCs? The good thing about the falling tech stocks is that they give me someplace to go when there are no more good deals out there.
I don't own any intel right now but have in the past. I will probably pick some up after they report bad earnings in Q3 and Q4. It has a near 4% dividend so it is something I would be able to wait on.
I would not want to risk it taking a position in Intel, Dividends can be cut there is no guarantees.
On PC purchases, the computers at this point are just insanely powerful, they blow out of the water a multimillion dollar cray of 12 years ago. Amazing how quickly in the last decade they rapidly ramped up performance per watt on these things.
The problem is, the computers have become exponentially powerful, everyone with the equivalent of a supercomputer on their desks. But nothing to drive the hardware which would push upgrades.
Most of the shit people use desktops for is office productivity, wasting time on the internet, and other little odds and ends. The CPUs primarily sit idle. So why would people want to upgrade?
Its not like the 80's and 90s where every Mhz counted. Upgrades are going to stretch out longer and longer as these machines are in essence underutilized.
This brings about a dilemma for Intel, They spend billions on R&D and on expensive Fabs. But what good all of it do if it starts to sit idle and it takes longer and longer to recoup these costs?
And now you have people computing on Tablets/phones etc with the ARM architecture being the predominate product in use.
Intel, being the fat and happy company failed to innovate and see this future and was more than happy to milk the x86 cow and not even plan for a future where low power computing would be a new growing market.
I don't like Intel as a long term holding. If you want exposure to tech just buy the QQQ (dont go overboard) don't put all your eggs in one basket.
BTW: Windows 8 will be a disaster and will not drive PC sales, and will burn MSFT. Windows 8 was a dumb move by the shitty CEO Ballmer who cant see past his nose.