RE: DEC sues Intel for willful patent infringement

Robert Harley (Robert.Harley@inria.fr)
Wed, 14 May 1997 10:44:57 +0200 (MET DST)


Wayne Baisley <BAISLEY@fndcd.fnal.gov> wrote:
>Unless they're switching to K6s exclusively.

Joseph S. Barrera III <joebar@microsoft.com> wrote:
>Easy - they keep selling Intel boxes, and when the treble damages are [...]

DEC has already committed to using the K6 in (some of) its x86 boxes
although current contracts with Intel probably extend for a few months.

I think the big picture has nothing to do with Pentium plain/Pro/II.
The only major technology step was in the PPro and that was ages ago.

DEC exists because Alphas are fast enough that they can charge huge
margins for the high-end systems. Various noises over the last few
months suggest that they are very concerned that they will be screwed
if the 64-bit chips that HP and Intel are working on match the 21264
for speed. But presumably a lot of Alpha-like technology would need
to be "borrowed".

This suit will probably fizzle out into some behind-the-scenes
licensing agreement BUT the HP-Intel development will be seriously
fucked as they will have to steer wide of large swathes of technology.

That's my take, and I just saw that on comp.sys.dec, Terry Shannon said
"Instead, the long-term objective is to send the ia64 design team back
to the drawing board!" If he says it, it must be true.

-- Rob.
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