> >Are folks getting jaded with chip bugs, os poop and general crapiness of
>> >product? > > Sure. I heard about the bug last week but didn't bother
>bringing it > up because hey, it's just YAIB (Yet Another Intel Bug) and
>everyone > already knows that Intel chips are bug-ridden chunks of crap
>except > for die-hards who don't care about mere facts. > > -- Rob.
> But PC users would not encounter the flaw in everyday use. A programmer
>would have to intentionally issue a specific command to freeze the PC's
>operation.
heh...
Tuesday November 11 6:59 AM EST
Intel Confirms Pentium Chip Flaw
By Kourosh Karimkhany
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Intel Corp. says it has found a design flaw
in its Pentium computer chip that could be exploited by malicious
programmers to crash personal computers and network servers.
The flaw occurs in the Pentium and Pentium with MMX microprocessors, two of
the most common chips found in personal computers worldwide, the company
said Monday.
But PC users would not encounter the flaw in everyday use. A programmer
would have to intentionally issue a specific command to freeze the PC's
operation.
Intel said it is moving quickly to fix the flaw because of the amount of
concern it has raised during the weekend. CNET, an online technology
publication, first reported the flaw Friday afternoon.
"We are doing this on an accelerated timeline," said Tom Waldrop, Intel
spokesman. "It's gotten a lot of attention and it could raise a lot of
concern."
On Internet newsgroups -- sections on the worldwide computer network where
people discuss various issues -- some postings claimed that the flaw could
be exploited to sabotage servers, the central computers that control the
flow of information through networks.
But Waldrop said it would be unlikely to issue the illegal command through
the Internet to sabotage PCs remotely.
An afflicted PC would "freeze" and not operate until it is turned off and
turned back on.
Intel, based in Santa Clara, Calif., learned a painful lesson about chip
flaws three years ago when some users discovered that the Pentium could not
perform some math functions correctly.
Intel initially argued that the flaw was minor, but eventually had to
backtrack and agree to replace the bad chips, taking a substantial hit to
its earnings.
Waldrop said Intel probably will find a fix for the latest flaw within a
week. The company will work with software companies and PC makers to
distribute the fix.
Intel's stock fell $2.31 to $75.125 on Nasdaq.
--I got up feeling so down, I got off being sold out I've keep the movie rolling, But the story's getting old now I just looked in the mirror, Things aren't looking so good I'm looking California, and feeling Minnesota. ...Soundgarden
<> tbyars@earthlink.net <>