Xilinx and AMD: an Inevitable Match?

itwbennett writes: Steve Casselman at Seeking Alpha was among the first to suggest that Xilinx should buy AMD because, among other reasons, it 'would let Xilinx get in on the x86 + FPGA fabric tsunami.' The trouble with this, however, is that 'AMD's server position is minuscule.... While x86 has 73% of the server market, Intel owns virtually all of it,' writes Andy Patrizio. At the same time, 'once Intel is in possession of the Altera product line, it will be able to cheaply produce the chip and drop the price, drastically undercutting Xilinx,' says Patrizio. And, he adds, buying AMD wouldn't give Xilinx the same sort of advantage 'since AMD is fabless.'

Comments

Re:There's other things they could do

[Anonymous Coward]

Xilinx has produces with arm cores in them, see Zynq.

Quick! Let's copy Intel's stragety

[OrangeTide]

And when it fails, we can blame Intel for going out of business.

The point is, Intel plays by different rules and their Altera purchase represents a smaller percentage of their total worth. But the most important reason you shouldn't copy Intel is if there is an x86+FPGA market, you will never be able to beat Intel at it. If Intel wants your niche, they will take it from you. If Intel has already moved there before you even started, now you don't even have the ability to establish a new market, losing the only minute advantage there is.

I recommend trying to come up with a new idea that Intel isn't actively pursuing. Get some customers and lots of patents, then when Intel wants to take it from you, they at least have to do some costly patent settlements.

Re:Why would AMD buy Xilinx, the company?

[Anonymous Coward]

And anyone who has ever been to the local grocery store here knows who Kevin is.