GLG News by Semiconductor Experts in GLG Member Programs (US)

Jim TurleyOwner and AnalystSilicon Insider

Oracle should kill SPARC. It's among the slowest CPU chips around, and the engineering costs are staggering.

May 14, 2009

Analysis of:Ellison Insists Sun's Sparc Still Has a Future | seekingalpha.com

* Microprocessor development is hugely expensive, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars per year, every year, forever. * It's an expensive treadmill. You can never stop improving the processor or you rapidly fall behind. * Unique CPU technologies do not translate into customer benefits. So what's the point? * In-house CPU development is largely an ego-driven enterprise. "Real men make microprocessors" is not a good business strategy. * SPARC is a dog. If you're going to bet the farm on an in-house CPU, pick a different one. * Using Intel (or other commercial supplier's) chips would be a much better use of Oracle's resources and it wouldn't hurt customers a bit.

Jim TurleyOwner and AnalystSilicon Insider

Do It - It's the Best Option for a Dwindling Sun

April 6, 2009

Analysis of:IBM Talks Teeter as Sun Board Splits | online.wsj.com

* Sun's value in the industry has been declining for years. It needs an exit strategy before all the value is gone. * The company no longer innovates in any meaningful way and it's lost its importance, becoming an undifferentiated provider of hardware by the pound. * IBM would benefit from Sun's market share, and perhaps some patents and other technology.

Neil KellySemiconductor Test ConsultantNeil Kelly

Intel fails in its attempt to create commodity ATE

April 5, 2009

Analysis of:ATE consortium STC folds | www.eetimes.com

The failure of a large semiconductor test purchaser like Intel to exert its will on the semiconductor ATE market likely indicates that the threat of commoditization is over.  The large ATE companies make heavy R&D investments in their equipment, which they recoup with premium pricing protected by a proprietary architecture.  The semiconductor test consortium collapsed because only one ATE manufacturer embraced the concept.

Neil KellySemiconductor Test ConsultantNeil Kelly

Up from here?

April 5, 2009

Analysis of:Teradyne plans more cost cuts, lowers guidance | www.edn.com

Semiconductor ATE companies are starting to believe current levels of business represent the bottom of the downturn.  There are two problems with this - firstly, the companies have not seen their business stabilize yet, and secondly they will not survive long at these depressed revenue levels, so the shape and timing of the upturn is critical.

Jim TurleyOwner and AnalystSilicon Insider

No, they're both better off separate

April 3, 2009

Analysis of:Should Nvidia Merge with AMD? | www.rahulsood.com

Merging nVidia and AMD is a fair question. After all, there's a lot of consolidation happening in the industry, with more to come. But this particular combination won't work well. For starters, AMD already owns ATI, nVidia's major competitor. Acquiring nVidia as well would put both of the major formerly independant graphics companies under AMD's umbrella. Apart from antitrust concerns, it just just doesn't help AMD -- or nVidia -- very much. There's no synergy between ATI and nVidia technology, so there's no real gain to be had there. AMD would find itself with two very complelx and competing technologies and no good way to combine them. The whole would be worth exactly the sum of its parts. Second, the acquisition would be expensive. AMD's had a tough enough time swallowing the price of ATI, with little to show for it. Gobbling up nVidia too would be tough.   Finally, although it might take nVidia out of Intel's hands, Intel doesn't need nVidia, either.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Time is Ripe for Some Consolidation

March 6, 2009

Analysis of:Where chip industry is headed today | www.mercurynews.com

The stage is set for consolidation in the semiconductor industry.  The firms that will be hit hardest with this are those that make commodity products in low-growth markets.  In particular this will impact Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Qimonda, Elpida, Powerchip, and Nanya.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Seminal Changes Afoot for the NOR Flash Business?

March 6, 2009

Analysis of:Spansion Files for Bankruptcy Protection in the U.S. | www.bloomberg.com

Spansion's bankruptcy filing could indicate the beginning of the end of the high-density NOR flash market.  This would force changes in design methodology at cell phone makers Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, Bird, and many others, and breed new chipset designs at companies like TI and Qualcomm.  Numonyx, the NOR spin-off formed out of Intel and ST could find that its products' market would decline due to a lack of a viable alternate source.

Peter Shih-Hsin YingPresident Knight Investment Consulting

Chewing Before Swallowing

March 5, 2009

Analysis of:Nokia considering entering laptop industry | www.reuters.com

Chewing before swallowing. It may be an elephant this time. When Nokia can not swallow the current hot smart phone soup and looking over other table's dish for internet content from PC, it could end up with no meal in either table. Late 90, Intel announced so many times wanting to enter communication market. What is Intel's position in the handset market today? Bottom line is that business models are fundamentally different between PC and handset market. PC is driven by performance and handset is driven by delivery. It is impossible for one of them to transform from one to another.  Nokia may spell "P" into profit and "C" into cheap. But the point is that Nokia has no experience in PC business.  Take away: Do not read too much. Giants like Intel or Nokia, talk nonsense sometime. The information released, while reading between the line, showing that Nokia is in denial mode of failing smart phone market and does not know what to do about it.

Afarin BellisarioFounder and PresidentTranstrategy, Inc

Intel inside everything?

March 3, 2009

Analysis of:Intel vs. Qualcomm | www.businessweek.com

The partnership between Intel and TSMC will allow expanding Intel platform well beyond PC, notebooks and Net Books. Access to IP, will allow a set of customers who value customization consider Intel platform. In addition to access to IP and ASIC design capability, TSMC can offer Intel a lower cost manufacturing facility to compete more effectively.

Afarin BellisarioFounder and PresidentTranstrategy, Inc

One Step Forward, More to Go

March 3, 2009

Analysis of:Solar Power For $2 A Day | www.forbes.com

Designers in CA are using the current generation of solar technology to create smaller, easy to install and modular panels which are afforadble for younger people, even those living in rental housing. Using existing technology while eliminating large cost of installation is an mportant step to spread the utility of panels. This will allow people to experiment with solra power without haveing to lay out thousands of dollars. Solving safety and integration problems with the grid will be the next.  

Previous Page : 12345678910Next41 to 50 of 188