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http://www17.tomshardware.com/motherboard/19980710 /index.html
DRAM Performance: Latency vs. Bandwidth Created:
July 10, 1998 By: Bert McComas

http://www17.tomshardware.com/motherboard/19980729 /index.html
Performance Impact of Low Latency DRAM Created:
July 29, 1998 By: Bert McComas

http://www17.tomshardware.com/motherboard/19980814 /index.html
Performance Impact of Rambus Created:
August 14, 1998 By: Bert McComas

http://www17.tomshardware.com/motherboard/19980923 /index.html
Rambus on Alternate Platforms Created:
September 23, 1998 By: Bert McComas

...and touring the world demonstrating the Micron "Samurai" DDR chipset; a chipset that would never be built, and which was intended only to divert mindshare from Intel and RDRAM:

http://www17.tomshardware.com/motherboard/19991216 /index.html

http://www.ebnonline.com/digest/story/OEG19991110S 0054

http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19991110S0028

While at the same time he was colluding with the industry to limit RDRAM production, coordinate their lies, and provide some cover from antitrust prosecution [From the FTC-Rambus case docket at http://www.ftc.gov/os/adjpro/d9302/index.htm]:

1567. In April 1998, Bert McComas, an industry consultant, gave an "exclusive" seminar for DRAM manufacturers about Intel's selection of RDRAM (Rambus memory). (RX 1138 at 1; Tabrizi, Tr. 9061-62). Mr. McComas pre-cleared his seminar invitation and list of topics with Mr. Tabrizi. (Tabrizi, Tr. 9064).

1568. Mr. McComas's invitation asked its recipients not to forward the invitation to Rambus or Intel. (RX 1138 at 1). A few days later, Desi Rhoden (now Chairman of the Board of JEDEC) sent an email to Mr. Tabrizi about the attendance restrictions. (RX 1149; Tabrizi, Tr. 9064-65). Mr. Rhoden's e-mail stated that he knew McComas and that his "main focus appears to make sure that Rambus and Intel do not attend and therefore has been very restrictive on who can attend. If he says everyone except Rambus and Intel, then it is restraint of trade; while if he says only suppliers, then most of who he wants can attend without there being a charge of restraint of trade." (RX 1149 at 1).

1569. During his April 1998 seminar presentation to the DRAM manufacturers, Mr. McComas stated that a manufacturer that chose to build RDRAMs was making a "guaranteed bad bet for margin enhancement" (RX 1482 at 12), and he stated that RDRAM "deepens [the manufacturer's] financial dilemma." (RX 1482 at 26). As a "possible strateg[y]," Mr. McComas suggested that DRAM manufacturers "tape out but do not fully productize or cost reduce" the RDRAM device, in the hopes of "resist[ing] popular deployment" of RDRAM. (RX 1482 at 34-35).

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1571. Mr. McComas spoke at the June 25, 1998 SLDRAM Executive Summit about the problems faced by DRAM manufacturers. One of the "tactical" problems he identified was how to "Manage Price Competition, Profitability." (RX 1188 at 1). He also talked about how man

...analogous to CD-R (recordable) as opposed to CD-RW (rewritable). How will common file systems and OS designs have to change to accommodate WORM media? Or is this not intended to displace hard disk drives?

Interesting analogy considering the state of the industry at the moment. Intel is working on a replacement for flash that utilizes chalcogenide - the material used in rewritable disks like CDRW and DVDRW.

The idea is the same as what we have here except, instead of the "blown fuse" technique, the chalcogenide material stores data as a level of resistance (which can be set/reset trillions of times). Intel believes that this is a successor to flash, which is expected to hit the scalable wall at 45nm (2007-8ish). Because the chalcogenide material can be "programmed" to hundreds of unique levels of resistance, it is expected that Intel will get as much as 8 bits per cell, which will put density into or above that of conventional hard drives.

So there you have it - DRAM and hard drive replacement in one.

If you are looking for an investment that leverages this technology, consider Energy Conversion Devices out of Rochester, Michigan. The CEO is Stanford Ovshinsky of "Ovshinsky Effect" fame. They invented this technology back in the 60s and Gordon Moore even wrote a paper on it in 1970, I believe. But material technology is only just now beginning to develop to the point that this can become feasible.

Disclaimer - I am an investor in this company and I consider it EXTREMELY high-risk. The company is currently teetering on the edge of solvency.

My tinfoil hat may be on too tight, however:

1. Microsoft Loses Antitrust case.
2. Bush gets into the Whitehouse and expected results of antitrust case become very wattered down.
3. Microsoft employee becomes chief of cyber security for the government - authors 'National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace'.
4. Google is known to have former NSA people on the payroll.
5. Microsoft's 'trusted computing' strategy includes building an all in one DRM gateway.
6. Microsoft goes after Google...

It seems to me that Microsoft is tightening their ties with government in an attempt to influence the upcoming DRM war. What better way to do that than to have an inside man to set internet security policy, to control all access of electronic resources into the home, and to control the most important search portal. There are probably other evidence to support this view - but I don't have the time to 'google' it all for you (kind of ironic, if it wasn't so scary in a 'big brother is watching you' sort of way...)

To paraphrase Frank Herbert, "he who controls the access, controls the universe"

It seems like this would be an ideal complement to a system that was built with mram - non-volatile (modernised 'core') memory since no battery backup would be required. But I'm sure you already had that in mind. :)

Oh, this one's actually very easy to explain. Intel is Rambus's biggest booster, and you know why?

Intel had a very special deal with Rambus for 4 million shares of Rambus's stock. The deal was inked at the time that Rambus' stock value was in triple digits, and Intel would have been able to exercise its warrants for $2.50 a share. That meant after all the dust settled over 250 million dollars worth of stock would be Intel's for the taking. But as a stipulation of the deal, 20% of all Intel boards shipped over 2 consecutive quarters had to incorporate Rambus RIMMs. Given that Rambus RIMMs do have advantages over SDRAM under specific circumstances, and the last thing Intel will ever do is admit that they screwed up big time, Intel uses and promotes it to this day. But you'll notice that no one else does...

Actually, the SDRAM royalties it has sought are thought to be closer to 0.75%. It was on DDR-SDRAM, which Rambus considered to be a would-be competitor to its own Direct Rambus RDRAM, that Rambus sought a royalty of 3.5%. See this story from Electronic Buyers News in 2001 concerning statements made in the trial.

This is true. However, AMD is second to Intel in both flash and processors, and has been bleeding money for at least four quarters. Intel ships more flash, has been quicker to market with their new StrataFlash (vs. AMDs MirrorBit), and has better manufacturing capabilities. This allows Intel to set the stage on pricing and AMD to *hope* Intel doesn't drop prices too much because AMD has to go lower and watch profits piss away. In addition, Celeron continues to pressure the Athlon processors because the Duron was dropped. In addition, the new P4 "Banias" processors will leave AMD out because they won't even come close with a mobile processor for a while. Now, if Athlon64 dominates, and I hope it does, things will all change... AMD did well when the Athlon first came out and had several consecutive good quarters. Lets cross our fingers.

JOhn

P.S. Yep... I shoulda used preview...

This is true. However, AMD is second to Intel in both flash and processors, and has been bleeding money for at least four quarters. Intel ships more flash, has been quicker to market with their new (vs. AMDs MirrorBit), and has better manufacturing capabilities. This allows Intel to set the stage on pricing and AMD to *hope* Intel doesn't drop prices too much because AMD has to go lower and watch profits piss away. In addition, Celeron continues to pressure the Athlon processors because the Duron was dropped. In addition, the new P4 "Banias" processors will leave AMD out because they won't even come close with a mobile processor for a while. Now, if Athlon64 dominates, and I hope it does, things will all change... AMD did well when the Athlon first came out and had several consecutive good quarters. Lets cross our fingers.

JOhn

JOhn

Yeah well I can name at least a six of EN's "best reporters" that you tried to hire and who laughed in your face at the prospet of working for EBN, EET, or SBN. The personnel dance between EN and EBN was a well-known tactic you guys used to "try and kill EN." For the record it never worked. EN is being killed by the stupidity of short-time publisher, focused on short-term financial gains, who cares nothing for the legacy of the more powerful brand. It is not being done in by the competition. It has erred by ceding the market to your second-rate book. Enjoy it while you can, because EBN ain't long for this world either. No one with a soul would work for CMP, and we all laughed when it got bought out by United News and Media. No one you ever recruited from EN wanted to buy into the "cult of CMP." (You shall comply completely with all corporate behavioural mandates.....you are our robot.....you must not write with any personality or passion. this is forbidden.) Remember this: When AMD announced it was launching its 1 GHz Athlon, only EN had it in print the DAY the news broke, courtesy of better reporting and better sourcing by EN. EBN had been closed for three days, and was totally off-guard. Just one of example of dozens of times that EN beat the pants of EBN, even though it had a smaller staff, and an unsupportive corporate parent. Just how big is that bloated masthead over there anyway? Now that the competition is over you can expect your parent to start looking for dead weight personnel to trim.....care for some names?

The actual clock speed is 200mhz and 266 mhz ddr for 400 (PC 3200, @ 3.2 gb/s), and 533 (PC4300 @ 4.3 gb/s), respectively. TheInquirer points this out, along with some more specs. Also, way back on May 2, JEDEC approved the standard.

Please knock it off. I work in the electronics parts industry (Controller of Corp.) and know what I'm talking about. This has been a major problem for years now.

EBN Online has many, many articles on this subject.

Here is a sample. Use their search engine, and you'll find others.

Try The ERAI website for checking the effects this problem has on our industry. It's costing us millions, if not billions.

Before you open up your mouth and spew your "humanitarian" garbage, check facts first.

Ruin my mood, and just after good news like this:

EBN Online article

Next on the block:

Infineon in Mannheim, Germany

Oct 29, 2001, Wilmington, DE, Federal Court, Micron will ask that Rambus' patents be invalidated.

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All your .sig are belong to us!

In other news, Rambus flunked court in Italy:

EBN Online article

Next on the block:

Infineon in Mannheim, Germany

Oct 29, 2001, Wilmington, DE, Federal Court, Micron will ask that Rambus' patents be invalidated (due to that dirty business in JEDEC, no doubt.)

Maybe with an open processor workshop, they could show up and not tell anyone they're planning to patent adamantium interconnects...

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All your .sig are belong to us!

This story from more than a year ago already mentions this technology. Apparently it's Lithium based.

They're not the only one. For example, Qualcomm is doing the same thing, with considerable success.

And arguably Qualcomm's patents were issued in the face of prior art as well; CDMA had been used in military communications for some time. The U.S. isn't about to "fix" this, since it's a place that U.S. companies have an edge. Welcome to 21st century high-tech big business.

And by the way, Taco, "beg the question" doesn't mean "invite the question". If you had taken a philosophy course at Hope College you would know that :).

--Seen

Here are the links working this time :-/
HotRail
and
Article

http://www.ebnonline.com/story/OEG1 9991014S0009

Philips has some kind of plastic IC also.