A Humbled Intel

Intel's Nocona. The introduction of the long-awaited 32/64-bit processor must be somewhat bittersweet for chip-making giant. After all, this chip follows the combo 32/64 Opteron processor by AMD by about a year. It's the first time that Intel is making a chip compatible with AMD's, and not vice versa. How humbling.

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). Intel was a company that has never been bashful about its accomplishments. But people like to root for the underdog, especially if the underdog offers something worthwhile. In this industry, that would be AMD: A good chipmaker offering good value. And now, just as in the Aesop's fable about the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise (AMD) has crossed the finish line first. Perhaps now that this watershed moment has occurred, Intel can focus on creating the best, most innovative microprocessors in the world. Of course, I'm sure Intel's strategy will be shaken up, roadmaps changed, product lines sped up and others, as we well know, will be abandoned.

In the end, this new realization of competition will likely make the company strong and undoubtedly, wiser.