> Finally, two points in regard of this:
>> I wonder how much spare manufacturing capacity DEC has? If not much,
>> then not being able to buy Intel chips is going to be pretty
limiting...
>Second, and more pedantically, it's the manufacturing capacity at
>Intel-compatible chip-makers which would put the squeeze on, if
>anything does. So I don't see how DEC's manufacturing capacity is at
>issue, unless and until they start fabbing their own Intel-compatible
>processors. (This is, I suppose, a possibility; they could license the
>K6 or Cyrix 6x86 chip masks).
Yes, sorry, I didn't spell this out clearly. My argument here is, since
Cyrix and AMD combined can only supply 5.5 million chips a year,
compared to Intel's ability to produce 70 million, that DEC's ability to
make x86 compatible computers will be limited if DEC cannot buy Intel
chips. Unless, of course, DEC makes the x86 chips themselves, which is
indeed what I was getting at.
Actually, I really wonder about the 1.5 million number for Cyrix...
doesn't IBM make their chips anyway? I'm sure IBM could crank out a few
more million if DEC asked really nicely...
(BTW, did you drop the first "less pedantic" point?)
Now remember... this is all (according to the conspiracy theory) just a
strategy to *distract* the DOJ, Reback, etc. from Microsoft... it
doesn't require that DEC actually has a strong enough case to win... and
(since this is an anti-Microsoft conspiracy theory) I'm only debating
this side of the argument as a public service. :-)
- Joe
Joseph S. Barrera III (joebar@microsoft.com)
http://research.microsoft.com/~joebar
Phone, Office: (415) 778-8227; Cellular: (415) 601-3719; Home: (415)
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