Willamette in 2H 2000 & the Rambus issue

[NFS4]

http://www.ga-hardware.com/features.cfm?id=intelqa

Seems as though they are still preaching Rambus. The must be under a HEAVY spell 😉

 

[Ulysses]

I can't wait to get one - for the longest time I've been looking for that "hardly overtakeable advantage" right on my own desktop.

 

[NFS4]

Yeah, Willamette is gonna cause some serious damage, but I feel that Rambus will limit Willamette's affect on the market.

 

[Snooper]

Yeah. The "Spell" appears to be part of the licensing agreement that Intel signed with Rambus. Why in the HELL would they agree NOT to use other memory standards as their mainstream memory as part of the liscense until late in 2002??? I hope the jackass that signed this contract got his butt fired for being a complete moron.

 

[Midnight Rambler]

The "spell" is that Intel gets to exercise an option for 10M shares of RAMBUST at around $2/share IF AND ONLY IF shipments of RAMBUST-enabled chipsets (ie. the 820) meet or exceed 20% of Intel's total chipset shipments. So far, they aren't close.

Given that even Intel is busting RAMBUST's chops on their own web page, they must not be too worried about losing out on a $1B windfall.

 

[HaVoC]

That was the most drone-like interview I have ever read. Only the last question was answered with any humanity! I mean, it sounded like it came straight from Intel press-reports, cut & paste. Those Intel guys are working too hard.

 

[Insomniac]

Midnight Rambler: Just a small correction, the option is for 4 million shares at $2.50 a share. With the share price of RAMBUS at $90 right now, that is $350 million dollars of profit.

Especially now with Intel locked out of producing DDR chipsets until 2002, they will surely be able to have 20% of their chipsets supporting RAMBUS sold in two consecutive quarters because that will be the only chipset the P4 will work with.

I would also expect to see DDR chipsets for the P4 from Via appear shortly after Intel can exercise their stock options. At least this way, they won't be hit as hard by this agreement with RAMBUS. Intel has learned a very valuable lesson here, and now we'll have to wait until 2002 before Intel can do anything about it.