AMD like Apple suffers at the hands of fanboys.
<a href="http://www.tomshardware.com/smoke/02q3/020704/index.html"; target="_blank">http://www.tomshardware.com/smoke/02q3/020704/index.html</a>;
Some exerps:
"AMD fanboys have taken on the characteristics of Apple computer lovers, and are hell bent on destroying the plucky little microprocessor vendor with smothering love, if you can call it love. They're trashing the company. For the love of AMD, let's all stake our claim to independence and run the colonizing freakazoids off the Web before they impose more of their imperious ways on the rest of the PC market."
"A fan base that can only yak about you but doesn't even bother to energize your sales isn't a fan base worth having. Or maybe it is. Maybe being another Apple is pretty good, but the same attitude cost 3dfx dearly. Apple has movie stars, and was pulled back from oblivion by Steve Jobs, a guy who had reach beyond the bounds of the traditional PC market. Jobs is a big part of the PC's history. There isn't anyone at AMD that can pull off that trick."
While this isnt tottaly Apple focused it makes an interesting comparision between Apple and AMD fanboys. And the damage that could be done by them. A good read none the less.
[ 07-04-2002: Message edited by: Falcon ]
[ 07-04-2002: Message edited by: Falcon ]</p>
Some exerps:
"AMD fanboys have taken on the characteristics of Apple computer lovers, and are hell bent on destroying the plucky little microprocessor vendor with smothering love, if you can call it love. They're trashing the company. For the love of AMD, let's all stake our claim to independence and run the colonizing freakazoids off the Web before they impose more of their imperious ways on the rest of the PC market."
"A fan base that can only yak about you but doesn't even bother to energize your sales isn't a fan base worth having. Or maybe it is. Maybe being another Apple is pretty good, but the same attitude cost 3dfx dearly. Apple has movie stars, and was pulled back from oblivion by Steve Jobs, a guy who had reach beyond the bounds of the traditional PC market. Jobs is a big part of the PC's history. There isn't anyone at AMD that can pull off that trick."
While this isnt tottaly Apple focused it makes an interesting comparision between Apple and AMD fanboys. And the damage that could be done by them. A good read none the less.
[ 07-04-2002: Message edited by: Falcon ]
[ 07-04-2002: Message edited by: Falcon ]</p>
Comments
And yeah...Intel is too screwing themselves. We should see them whining pretty soon
But the author does have a point. Its when the company starts believing their own hype, and their fanbase. And starts thinking that there fanbase will make them invicible to pretty much anything. Apple's fanbase has saved the company, and brought it through tough times. But AMD's is just a smokescreen.
Due to AMD's finnacial performance they could very likely go under in 10 years. But then again thats what people say about Apple.
I hope they dont, as I just bought my first AMD proc and mobo.
I read the article and it was okay. AMD does have similar problems as Apple: minority position in the market, the competition is the "Standard", and the competition is "Faster".
Unless AMD can get in with Dell they will continue to have a problem because Intel has deep pockets and can compete on price at a perceived higher speed.
But the author does have a point. Its when the company starts believing their own hype, and their fanbase. And starts thinking that there fanbase will make them invicible to pretty much anything. Apple's fanbase has saved the company, and brought it through tough times. But AMD's is just a smokescreen.
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AMD does not "believe the hype", only the fanatical fans which make and sites which perpetuate the hype believe in it. AMD has existed for 33 years and is a fairly grounded company with a competent management team. AMD only needs to focus on execution and continuing innovation to suceed.
[quote]Due to AMD's finnacial performance they could very likely go under in 10 years. But then again thats what people say about Apple. <hr></blockquote>
AMD has had many non profitable quarters in its history and has survived through them all. There is no indication that this will change now.
[quote]Unless AMD can get in with Dell they will continue to have a problem because Intel has deep pockets and can compete on price at a perceived higher speed.<hr></blockquote>
It's exactly those deep pockets which prevent AMD from getting in with Dell. Everytime they consider using AMD's products Intel bribes them into staying Intel only.
In a way, I think the "MHz myth" was fostered more by Mac users and AMD users than by Intel. Intel advertised it on TV, but Apple users have a grassroots effort about it that works by word-of-mouth. One medium is more influential than the other, especially when it comes to numbers that people don't understand what they mean.
A lot of bad press about AMD and Apple is created by users like us when we fabricate unrealistic expectations, think we are more in touch with the markets than they are, or are more capable of doing what they do. The press learns of this pessimistic point of view (maybe more of an inferiority complex or self-fulfilling prophesy) again by word-of-mouth and it gets written down as bad press about the companies. In short, bad vibes spread, and when the most fanatical users bash their favorite companies, it reflects very poorly in the less fanatical users' eyes. It's a kind of trickle-down effect.
For an example of the kind of user I'm thinking of there's a certain member here that pops in every so often who leaves little jabs like "Apple will be out of business in 5 years, max." I'm sure AMD has kids like this too.
Frankly, most people don't know how to formulate real criticism anyway.
They also got hit hard from the CompactFlash price flop awhile back.
Eskimo, do you still work for some CPU related company?
<strong>Wouldn't that freak you out if AMD released their new CPU (jointly with Apple) that ran both the x86 ISA and PowerPC ISA interchangeably at 2 Ghz clockspeeds, mondo floating point capacity, and ops/clock efficiency that spanked the P4 silly?</strong><hr></blockquote>
yes I would
<strong>
Eskimo, do you still work for some CPU related company?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes