Ignius

DRAM Chip Glut Could Lower Prices In 2003
December 27, 2002 (1:10 p.m. EST)
TechWeb News

The world is likely to be up to its hips in DRAM chips in 2003, according to a survey by Nikkei Market Access.

The prediction is likely to ruin the holidays for already-plagued manufacturers but could lead to better deals for computer buyers.

Production of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access memory) chips, the survey said, will increase up to 66 percent as major manufacturers ramp up new production lines that pump out more chips per silicon wafer.

Even though the estimate takes into account a robust 10 percent increase in PC sales -- and a hike in the average computer memory from 196 Mbytes to 294 Mbytes -- the end of 2003 should see makers holding a two-month inventory. That could be enough to trigger a chip price crash.

Lower chip prices could result in lower PC prices or PCs with more RAM, or both.

VIA taking Intel against anti-competitive actions. 30th December.

VIA have filed a class action law suit saying Intel is trading with unfair competition & of anti-competitive actions. VIA still says that they have the legal right to develop & sell Intel Pentium 4 chipsets. Considering that Intel is going to take a knock very soon when the AMD Hammer range of processors hit the market early next year we would have thought that Intel would ensure that their products get the best possible coverage and are promoted by as many other companies as possible. Maybe we are just out to lunch. You can hardly, Sell, Sell, Sell if you are also stopping other companies from promoting and encouraging people to buy your products. We might be able to understand it if VIA made duff products but they make very good products as Intel know full well. Lets see what 2003 brings.

DirectX 9 to you. 30th December.
Apparently there are bugs in the Microsoft DirectX 9 that can cause multi-player games to have problems according to an Italian web site. Shock Horror. Now this is a turn-up for the books. A Microsoft product having bugs. Na. Must be a miss print.

Intel and their 800MHz bus license. 21st December.
It's off again. Intel doing its best to restrict the spread of its chipsets and consequently its processor sales. Intel are in negotiations with various chipset makers such as VIA, SiS & ALi about incorporating the Intel technology. This is all out of our league, we would think that Intel considering the competition it will have next year with the AMD Hammer range of processors and the Barton core Athlon XP would go out of their way to ensure that Intel motherboards were everywhere. Even it if meant not making their usual over the top license fee on each licence. If only for a year or so. Better to sell than not sell.

Intergraph sues computer makers. 21st December.
Intergraph has filed a lawsuit against Dell, HP & Gateway with patent infringements that relate to cache memory management technology. Clipper technology which was incorporated in workstations based on the Intel Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II & Pentium III. The Clipper patent suit against Intel has been settled but not the licences for Intel's customers.

InterTrust files patent suit against Microsoft. 21st December.
DRM technologies or trusted systems and digital rights managements technologies that make secure transmission of valuable files, audio, video & text across networks. Napster made the recording industry and Hollywood have taken on-board the importance of DRM and of there are all the other areas such as financial transactions. InterTrust says that it holds the key patents to this technology. Sony & Philips tried to buy InterTrust back in November for $453 million in cash and according to Fortune are close to the deal. InterTrust apparently has 26 patents and 85 pending in all fields of DRM and trusted systems. What this means is massive revenue stream for InterTrust.

InterTrust has a suit against Microsoft for patent infringement against Windows XP, Office XP, Word 2002, Excell 2002, Outlook 2002, PowerPoint 2002, heck all Microsoft software as such. About 85% of Micrsoft software for use of DRM technology and trusted systems. The damages against Microsoft could be trebled if Microsoft were shown to have acted wilfully.

Eolas Technologies has patent infringement case against Microsoft. 21st December.
Set for July next year Microsoft will have to defend against alleged patent infringements in Windows since the 95 version and onward. Eolas are claiming that Microsoft are using technology in Microsoft IE without permission. Eolas are seeking damages and a permanent injunction to force Microsoft to stop the making and use of all infringing products which of course includes all the present versions of Windows.

Does Microsoft dream up any software technology itself or are as it being found out over the years of court cases all other peoples or other companies patented work. No wonder they have to sell their products at such a high price. It is needed to pay lawyers bills and settlements.