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AMD and Fujitsu Spin Off Static Memory Giant
prostoalex writes "AMD and Fujitsu will form a new memory company. While corporations typically form new spinoffs every time you turn around, this one is different, claims ZDNet, since it looks like AMD will be splitting into two companies, one dealing in the microprocessor market, another in memory."
AMD is a big player in the CPU market, but there are a lot of companies doing memory chips, isn't there? So, why on earth are they doing it? I hope it's viable for them , because they can lose a lot of money if they're not careful.
iMHO.
"I used to have that really cool,funny sig
The Flash business is the (relative) cash cow that's keeping the rest of the company afloat. No way it's going to split.
That's a neat trick -- include an outrageous-but-believeable-to-newbies statment in your story submission, get it posted! I'll have to try that.
"Orthodoxy is unconsciousness" - Orwell
This is an optimistic interpretation of what's going on. The pessimistic interpretation is that they expect their processor unit to tank totally, and they don't want it to take down their flash memory works, so they're splitting it off. It's like the Enterprise-D separating the saucer section when the warp core in engineering is about to breech.
There are some points to clear up here.
Yes, AMD and Fujitsu have been in cahoots for a long time, but it was a really great venture rather than the poor one you hint at. They created FASL (Fujitsu-AMD Semiconductor Limited) which ships the lion's share of the world's flash. Several more fabs have been started as part of the FASL venture. Iw was, and is, a great success.
Intel has been in multi-level cells, but the practical limit on it is the four-level cell they have now. They have just recently gotten that to work reliably. AMD's Mirror Bit cell is new, and obviously has only a four-bit cell, but when combined with the mirroring and multi-level, you've got a 16-bit cell. Evil.
AMD will never, ever go into DRAM. It's a loser. Prices fluctuate way too much and you can't make much money at it. Their strength is in flash memory, and they know it.
Slashdot Karma Whore Business Plan:
1) say something about [hot AMD CPUs/how Microsoft sucks/Linux is best for task X]
2) ?????
3) Karma Profit!!!
Didja know the latest Pentium4's put out more heat than the Athlon XP?
If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
"How long before the shareholders demand that AMD leave a business that is throwing away their money (and always will) and concentrate on a business that actually makes money."
.01% of their initial public funding. Unless you got in on the IPO, you are a liability to the company, not an investor.
.01% owner of their company that doesn't even have fucking voting rights is 100% satisfied with their decision. Let me clue you in on something... That is the LAST thing on their minds.
Shareholders invested in a microprocessor company that makes chips that compete with Intel Corp.'s chips. If they do not intend to sell microprocessors, they should not purchase stock in AMD.
I'm sorry, but if you own shares, you already agreed to foot the bill. If you don't like how they are running the show with your invested money, SELL YOUR FUCKING SHARES. So typical of shareholders nowadays to think that the board of a company owes you personally something because you bought 3rd hand stock equivilent to like
The stock market is a gamble. If you lose your money, Tuff shit. It's not the board's job to make sure every
If you dont like the way they run shit, GO START YOUR OWN COMPANY AND RUN IT HOW YOU WANT IT. And stop bitching to slashdot that you are unhappy with the way the REAL owners that have REAL stakes in the company are running it. It's people like you that royally fuck up the way the stock market is run.
[/rant]
Two infinite things: your stupidity and mine. But I'm not sure about the latter. If my sig offends you, I'm sorry.