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DVD
Output Up’d
With their Malaysian manufacturing facility set to pump out 70 percent more output, and Japanese and Mexican–based plants also "on alert", Sony has indicated their DVD player output is going to jump 60 percent this year, with some 7 million units expected to be produced. Sony has already accounted for 25 percent of the already sold 16 million DVD systems, and with pricing expected to drop as much as 30 percent this year and next, the additional production capabilities will be sorely needed — and tested.
SEMICONDUCTORS
A More Mobile Java
Bringing Java more fully into their ARM7 Thumb and ARM9 Thumb chips will be the result of a new partnership between ARM Holdings and Sun Microsystems. These chips power cell phones and the work involves making Java software a whole integration within the microprocessors themselves. ARM is going to license Sun’s Java technology and this will allow both firms to ensure their Java planning is in sync and then work together to make certain any Java improvements work well within wireless appliances. ARM intends to infuse their entire product line with Java capabilities.
SEMICONDUCTORS
Boost For Itanium
The Itanium chip from Intel is receiving some major support as Compaq throws its support behind this chip. Intel will receive a license from Compaq for their Alpha technology and Compaq will then incorporate the Itanium chip into their server offerings and will also transition their Alpha tools and engineering resources to Intel. This agreement will not preclude Compaq’s release of their nextgen Alpha processor, the EV7, and they can continue their work on their MIPS–based NonStop Himalaya servers until 2004. This move is certainly part of Compaq’s internal identification of their core markets as they attempt to counter a PC market that is most sluggish.
SEMICONDUCTORS
Thin Means Speed
Thinner and faster, that’s what IBM has managed with their latest silicon–germanium chip technology. This manufacturing process creates thinner transistors which, in turn, means data can be pumped at a rate 80 percent faster than currently enabled by other processes, or at the same speed but with a far lower power requirement. The incorporation of networking chips using this new technology could find such running at 210GHz with just 1 milliamp of electrical current required. Expectations are that the first use of networking chips based upon the IBM process will be for the fiber optic industry, with mobile appliances not far behind.
SEMICONDUCTORS
No Temporary Fab Closure
There is no truth to the claim that one of their 8–inch wafer fabs is going to be shut down for a while... United Microelectronics is denying that rumor, as well as the whispering regarding wafer price cuts by some 10 percent throughout their 6–inch wafer product line. Granted, the company is not denying that the semiconductor market slowdown has resulted in their loss expectations for this quarter and next to the tune of some 35 percent, which certainly adds some credence to the rumors despite company denials.
SEMICONDUCTORS
Talk Ain’t Cheap
Licensing is the subject of talks between Xilinx Inc. and various ASCI vendors. Xilinx would like to license their field–programmable gate array blocks, which means those companies who come to terms would then be able to include FPGAs within their ASICs. One company with whom discussions are underway is IBM, who has already licensed to Xilinx their CoreConnect bus as well as their PowerPC processor core, which are the basis for that company’s Empower line of products.
SERVERS
Better Late Than Never
Although somewhat on the late side when it comes to the intro of their low end server, Stratus is debuting their first machine that operates using Win2K and is powered by silicon from Intel. Called the ftServer 5200, this machine will be targeted toward lower–end operations, such as handling email, rather than the high–end environs normally associated with Stratus machines, such as ATMs or 911 emergency systems. Originally expected to arrive last fall, the ftServer 5200 is built using eight or 12 processors and uses the Xeon server chip that’s based on the P4 and uses double and triple–redundant components. Next month the even–lower–end ftServer 3200, which was created in conjunction with NEC, will roll–out offering double redundancy and a two–processor core. Then, no later than early 2003, a server will release that is scheduled to use the 2ndgen version of the Itanium as well as Windows 2002.
SYSTEMS
Apple’s System Shockers?
The signs seem to be pointing toward the end of the current "cube era" at Apple Computer. This PowerMac G4 model debuted last summer, but there have been slower than expected sales on the model and the stock in retail outlets is definitely declining. Many retailers still have Cube stock on hand, and those ordering new systems are not given an exact ship date for the models. However, looking at Apple’s history, one never knows if an iteration of this system is in the works! An additional Apple habit is to create "special bundles&#quot; for systems that may soon be changed or cancelled... this is the case for their iMacs with printer deals and other incentives to get folk to buy them. This form factor has been around since the spring of 1998, so a change may well be in the works... an iMac PDA?? Hmmm?
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