Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Networking
    • PC Hardware

    Intel Has Always Played Rough

    By
    David Coursey
    -
    June 30, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      For almost as long as Ive been in the industry, Ive watched Intel muscle both competitors and customers. I wasnt surprised to see AMD file suit and, though I havent seen the evidence, I tend toward AMDs side.

      Intel has become the worlds largest semiconductor company based both on its innovations and its prodigious street-fighting skills.

      Ive always been surprised that Microsoft seems to get beaten up by everyone while Intel manages to slide by. In terms of pounding both competitors and customers, Microsoft has nothing over Intel. At least if the rumors and allegations are to be believed.

      Back when I was still in Dallas, working for InfoWorld, there was a company called Cyrix that made math co-processor chips in competition with Intel. This was possible because Intel had signed an agreement with Texas Instruments that allowed TI to manufacture the chips for Cyrix.

      At the time, I read the patent cross-licensing contracts, which Intel not only signed but later extended. What TI and Cyrix were doing was obviously within the agreement, but Intel sued nonetheless. Cyrix kept winning in court, but Intel kept Cyrix in court for the better part of a decade. That kept Cyrix small, which I think was the point of the whole exercise for Intel.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifRead a commentary here from Microsoft Watchs Mary Jo Foley on what Intel should learn from Microsofts experience with monopoly accusations.

      Heres a great Wikipedia article that tells the Cyrix story, including the companys eventual sale to National Semiconductor and, eventually, to Via Technologies.

      Intel sued not because it had a case, but because it was a big company and Cyrix was a tiny one, and Cyrix was in the way. Intel used a lawsuit to accomplish what it was having trouble accomplishing in the marketplace … the same claim Intel is now making against AMD.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifClick here to read more about AMDs antitrust lawsuit against Intel.

      This street-fighter mentality is, I think, an outgrowth of Andy Groves paranoid Intel culture. Theres no question: This team had sharp elbows. How much the elbows contributed to Intels success is hard to say, but they were doubtless an advantage, especially as Intel grew larger and had more to elbow with.

      While there have been other allegations against Intel over the years, its the Cyrix case —the story I am most familiar with, since I covered it for InfoWorld—that shaped my opinion of Intels competitive nature. At one point, I even got then Intel exec David House to admit the company had used lawsuits as a competitive weapon.

      So, I dont have a terrible lot of sympathy for Intel, and my hunch is that AMD has cause to file suit.

      That doesnt, however, change the respect I have for Intels tremendous technological and business contributions. Intel is a great company with what is generally an above-average corporate culture. But it also has a dark side, which I think it has used even more effectively than Microsoft to fight off competitors.

      My hope is that Intel will come away from this new legal battle a wiser company, much as Microsoft has shown itself to be of late. The time for the sort of behavior that got these two giants into trouble, if there ever was one, is long past. Its time for Intel to join Microsoft in the circle of gracious winners.

      Contributing editor David Coursey has spent two decades writing about hardware, software and communications for business customers. He can be reached at [email protected]

      Avatar
      David Coursey
      One of technology's most recognized bylines, David Coursey is Special Correspondent for eWeek.com, where he writes a daily Blog (blog.ziffdavis.com/coursey) and twice-weekly column. He is also Editor/Publisher of the Technology Insights newsletter and President of DCC, Inc., a professional services and consulting firm.Former Executive Editor of ZDNet AnchorDesk, Coursey has also been Executive Producer of a number of industry conferences, including DEMO, Showcase, and Digital Living Room. Coursey's columns have been quoted by both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and he has appeared on ABC News Nightline, CNN, CBS News, and other broadcasts as an expert on computing and the Internet. He has also written for InfoWorld, USA Today, PC World, Computerworld, and a number of other publications. His Web site is www.coursey.com.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×