IT.NEWS WEEKLY September 5, 2000, NO. 14 Welcome again to IT.NEWS - BlueCom's weekly newsletter for all players in the international IT Channel - vendors, distributors, resellers, dealers and brokers. Read about the latest trends in the IT market, products, prices, partnerships, major companies and much more. ------------------------------------------------------- THIS ISSUE: 1. Intel Recall Its 1.13 GHz Pentium III Chip 2. Dream Team Sponsors Linux Lab 3. First Storage Product From IBM/Compaq Alliance 4. Sony to Spend USD 940 Million on Chip Plant 5. Hyundai Joins Anti-Rambus Legal Fight 6. Handheld Makers Foresee Christmas Shortage ------------------------------------------------------- ************** SPONSOR MESSAGE This week's TOP-7 CRAZY prices at BlueCom Danmark A/S Intel Etherexpress Pro 10/100 Mbit WOL ONLY USD 35.50 Click here for the next 6 crazy prices http://www.bluecom.com/top7 ************** 1. Intel Recalls Its 1.13 GHz Pentium III Chip Last week Intel Corp. recalled its 1.13 GHz Pentium III processor on the very day that archrival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. announced that more than 10 PC makers are to produce models using its 1.1 GHz Athlon processor. Intel stated that it was recalling its processor because a lab test had highlighted malfunctions when using certain kernels of the Linux operating systems. The problem apparently results from the higher heat produced by the faster processor and some portion of the Linux code. Analysts say that AMD now has a clear lead in processors, and that Intel launched the 1.13 GHz Pentium III before it was completely ready in an attempt to remain competitive. Intel has announced that it will take several months to correct the problem, which gives AMD more time to ramp up its 1.1 GHz shipments. In the coming months AMD will introduce Athlon chips with even higher speed grains, aiming for 1.5 GHz in the first quarter. Source: CNet News and Electronic Buyers News. 2. Dream Team Sponsors Linux Lab Computing heavyweights IBM, NEC, Intel, Dell Computer and Hewlett Packard are joining with Linux companies to coax the operating system into high-end, multiprocessor machines, the companies announced last week. The computing powerhouses are joining forces to create a laboratory where open-source programmers can improve the performance of Linux and associated software on these expensive servers. The new Open-Source Development Laboratories, due to receive multi-million dollar funding annually from the companies participating, will provide a way for independent programmers to push Linux into this high-prestige domain. Source: CNet News 3. First Storage Product From IBM/Compaq Alliance The first open storage product of the IBM and Compaq alliance has been announced as the Modular Storage Server. The alliance was made public on 6th July. Since then, IBM has undertaken full training of its storage sales force and storage networking architects, plus many of its business partners. Customers will now be able to deploy open storage networking solutions using both IBM and Compaq products. IBM has also announced the availability of 36 gigabyte 10,000 RPM disk drives for its "Shark" Enterprise Storage Server, which can result in a performance improvement of up to 30 percent. It also introduced the IBM FastT200 Storage Server, the industry leading entry level server for the NT marketplace, featuring two one gigabit per second Fibre Channel connections. The Modular Storage Server will be available on 29th September and the FastT200 will be available on the 12th September. Source: IBM 4. Sony to Spend USD 940 Million on Chip Plant Sony stated last week that it will spend more than US$940 million over the next five years on a new plant to produce microchips used in mobile phones, digital cameras and other devices, as the company attempts to increase production of such goods. Sony will begin construction in November in the Kumamoto district on Japan's southern island of Kyushu. The factory is scheduled to begin production in October 2001. Source: Sony 5. Hyundai Joins Anti-Rambus Legal Fight The company says its lawsuit is a pre-emptive strike against Rambus's pressure to license its synchronous technology. At stake is the validity of the patents protecting the technology for memory ICs, microprocessors, and core-logic chipsets - and therefore who gets to control the industry's future. Similarly, Hyundai has joined Micron Technology in a separate effort to invalidate patents held by memory intellectual property designer Rambus. Source: TechWeb 6. Handheld Makers Foresee Christmas Shortage Palm, Handspring, Sony and other makers of handheld computers will have trouble filling orders for rhe Christmas period because of the ongoing parts shortage, according to executives and analysts. "We're in backlog on literally every single product in the line," Palm chief competitive officer Michael Mace said. "Today the thing holding us back is our ability to procure parts. That is by far the biggest barrier to further growth by Palm". Supplies are short, in part because of a scarcity of components such as liquid crystal displays, colour screens and flash-memory chips. Palm and the other handheld computer makers use many of the same components as cell phone makers and game console makers. More people are buying such devices and can sometimes afford to upgrade to newer products each year as prices drop, further straining supplies, said Rob Enderle, an analyst with technology market researcher Giga Information Group. Because electronic organizers have become more popular than expected, the shortages could persist through 2001 and threaten the widespread acceptance of the devices. Source: CNet News ************** SPONSOR MESSAGE This week's TOP-7 CRAZY prices at BlueCom Danmark A/S Intel Etherexpress Pro 10/100 Mbit WOL ONLY USD 35.50 Click here for the next 6 crazy prices http://www.bluecom.com/top7 ************** Please click here to unsubscribe to this newsletter http://www.bluecom.com/unsubscribe