Motorola posts Loss of $ 1.24bn

Maybe we should take up a collection to support the processor division. You know, bake sales, Quake-a-thons, that sort of thing.

Let's see, 2562 registered AppleInsider forum members, say each of raises 50 bucks, that's $128,100! Sure, that's only 0.01% of the loss, but it might help!

[quote]Originally posted by Smircle:
<strong>(or 1.4bn EUR) for the fourth quarter 2001. Total revenues were down to $ 7.32bn (8.26bn EUR) from $ 10.1bn (11.4 EUR) the year before.

Bad news for future hardware from them I guess. Unfortunately I don't know if the processor department was in the red too.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Whinge, whinge, complain. Moto makes a loss, and "OMG! Bad news for future hardware!". When apple was losing money a few years back, it didn't stop them thrashing the x86. Won't affect their G5 commitment any, unless one thinks that Moto'll cut back on development of their flagship architecture.

Apple keeps bragging about their $4.4bn in the bank... it sounds like its time to use it for something and buy out Motorola's PowerPC division. Or is that earmarked for more executive jets?

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: Programmer ]</p>

I have a friend that writes manuals, or books of somesort for Motorola. She is pretty worried about her job. They have already let all higher positions go in her division, and everybody (every Division) is afraid to spend at mot for fear of getting cut to shreads is what she said.
They made everybody take all their vacation time before x-mas because when they cut people they have to pay out their VAC time., and motorola seriously can't afford to is what I'm hearing.

And she said this is everywhere. All divisions.
So, there is no spending they are going to try to coast through with sales of existing products, and use the relief of burdon of paying their previously employed to try to get through, but they are dead in the water if you ask me.

That's probably (obviously) why they wan't to sell their PPC rights to Apple, or back to IBM.

Apple should buy the Altivec (velocity engine), and PPC development team from Motorola while the getting is good, and totaly partner up IBM, and make some freaking insanly great processors for us, along with the IBM servers, and mainframes.
That would be tit's!

Not to lose track, but I do feel for those people at Motorola who are out of work.

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: onlooker ]

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: onlooker ]</p>

Apple wresting the PPC desktop development from Motorola is probably (definitely?) a good idea but how's Apple going to pay for the PPC's ongoing development?

[quote]Originally posted by Mac Sack Black:
<strong>Apple wresting the PPC desktop development from Motorola is probably (definitely?) a good idea but how's Apple going to pay for the PPC's ongoing development?</strong><hr></blockquote>

They don't. They switch over to IBM's roadmap (which they should have been on to begin with). Apple's sorta locked into Altivec, so they'd need to figure a way to entice IBM to either incorporate Altivec into their roadmap or make a special version PPC with Altivec just for them. I think Altivec is better than IBM's vector stuff, so they may be willing to switch if they were simply given the rights to use Altivec.

This discussion make me wonder what sorts of "behind the curtain" things are going on right now at Apple, IBM and Motorola. I'll bet things are being seriously shaken up. Maybe this has something to do with the lack of PowerMac bumps lately (or anything else regarding PPCs, really).

[quote]Originally posted by spotbug:
<strong>

They don't. They switch over to IBM's roadmap (which they should have been
on to begin with). Apple's sorta locked into Altivec, so they'd need to
figure a way to entice IBM to either incorporate Altivec into their
roadmap or make a special version PPC wi th Altivec just for them. I think
Altivec is better than IBM's vector stuff, so they may be willing to
switch if they were simply given the rights to use Altivec.</strong><hr></blockquote>


Which is okay, but how much of the burden will Apple have to shoulder? How
much is it going to cost them? Who'll fabricate?

1.24 Billion is a lot of money. They may go chapter 11! I never thought it could happen, but they have absolutely ****ed themselves.
First Enron, then KMart, now who? Microsoft? If that happens, I am going to start hauling my money market account around in a trash bag.

The dust bowl will return! ****!

"CHICAGO--Wireless technology giant Motorola on Wednesday said it planned to close four more semiconductor facilities over the next nine to 15 months. "

Hello IBM...

[quote]Originally posted by Mac Sack Black:
<strong>Which is okay, but how much of the burden will Apple have to shoulder? How much is it going to cost them?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Just enough to get IBM to put Altivec into one of their (that is, IBM's) PPCs (this is all assuming Apple has purhased, or otherwise acquired, Altivec from Motorola first). As I said, IBM may decide Altivec is better than their current SIMD and agree to start making PPCs with Altivec if Apple gives them the right to do it for nothing. Or, IBM may require that Apple do all the necessary R&D for an Altivec enhanced PPC or help IBM do it (give them money to do it).

[quote]<strong>Who'll fabricate?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Definitely IBM. I hope. I think it would be a huge mistake for Apple to start making their own PPCs.

edit: formatting was messed up.
edit 2: formatting still messed up.

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: spotbug ]

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: spotbug ]</p>

Well, this is not all doom and gloom. Most of that $1.24x10E9 loss was from one-time charges. Their actual operating loss was about 4 cents per share, which actually was BTE (analysts predicted about 5 cents). They are predicting another quarter of losses, then profit after that - enough to give a net profit for the fiscal year.

We'll see if it comes to pass, but the message I got from it was that Moto has turned the corner and may be ready to rebound. Maybe the anticipated profit is from all the G5 processors they plan on selling to Apple this year...

I hope Motorola dies and Apple or IBM aquires the necessary IP so that IBM can make PPCs with Altivec for Apple.

I hope Moto dies so the stipid Apple-Moto-IBM deal can get thrown out. IBM can aquire the processor division and plants of Moto, and sell Apple the hardware.

what if moto has spent SO much time and resource to make the most kick ass chip the world will EVER see, that they shot themselves in the foot? if this is the case, maybe they have an awesome design but can't mass produce it, so they should sell the design to IBM.

[quote]Originally posted by apple.otaku:
<strong>"CHICAGO--Wireless technology giant Motorola on Wednesday said it planned to close four more semiconductor facilities over the next nine to 15 months. "

Hello IBM...</strong><hr></blockquote>


Yeeesh. And I thought they couldn't do any worse. Not doubting you, but which paper / wire was the source? Trib? AP?

Motorola is so freaking worthless as a company. So many of the managers there are nothing more than political animals trying to save their own ass or make someone else look bad...the one thing that struck me during my time there (when the Iridium project wipeout started the overall financial landslide we're seeing now) was that no one was honest.

Everyone talked out the side of their mouth, answered in code or gave half-true responses during meetings or one-on-one conversations. Didn't take me long to learn that you simply did whatever it took to get the job done - lie to people in other departments to get their help - whatever. Not that professionals elsewhere aren't full of it themselves (there are some like this everywhere you go) but it was just utterly pervasive at MOT. It wears on you. Not a day goes by where you don't have to watch out for someone who's trying to step on you, mislead you or otherwise fu*k you over somehow.

It's like each little group is its own company and has side-step or bad-bouth the other little groups in order to succeed. REALLY poor work environment. What we're seeing now is the result of that. In the end, no trust, no profits.

Bastards.

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: Moogs ]</p>

[quote]Originally posted by Moogs :
<strong>


Motorola is so freaking worthless as a company. So many of the managers there are nothing more than political animals trying to save their own ass or make someone else look bad...the one thing that struck me during my time there (when the Iridium project wipeout started the overall financial landslide we're seeing now) was that no one was honest.

Everyone talked out the side of their mouth, answered in code or gave half-true responses during meetings or one-on-one conversations. Didn't take me long to learn that you simply did whatever it took to get the job done - lie to people in other departments to get their help - whatever. Not that professionals elsewhere aren't full of it themselves (there are some like this everywhere you go) but it was just utterly pervasive at MOT. It wears on you. Not a day goes by where you don't have to watch out for someone who's trying to step on you, mislead you or otherwise fu*k you over somehow.

It's like each little group is its own company and has side-step or bad-bouth the other little groups in order to succeed. REALLY poor work environment. What we're seeing now is the result of that. In the end, no trust, no profits.

Bastards.

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: Moogs ]</strong><hr></blockquote>


Moogs: All this and Six Sigma too?


Aries 1B

[quote]Originally posted by Moogs :
<strong>


Yeeesh. And I thought they couldn't do any worse. Not doubting you, but which paper / wire was the source? Trib? AP?

</strong><hr></blockquote>


Reuters. It was linked to on MacSurfer today.

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: apple.otaku ]</p>

Motorola began the process of closing their fab/research center in HK about two weeks ago by laying off 200 employees. They claim they are moving this division to mainland China.

[quote]Originally posted by TJM:
<strong>Well, this is not all doom and gloom. Most of that $1.24x10E9 loss was from one-time charges. Their actual operating loss was about 4 cents per share, which actually was BTE (analysts predicted about 5 cents). They are predicting another quarter of losses, then profit after that - enough to give a net profit for the fiscal year.

We'll see if it comes to pass, but the message I got from it was that Moto has turned the corner and may be ready to rebound. Maybe the anticipated profit is from all the G5 processors they plan on selling to Apple this year... </strong><hr></blockquote>

If this is true it might be time to buy MOTO. I've got to make up for my Enron losses somehow!

[quote]Originally posted by Aries 1B:
<strong>Moogs: All this and Six Sigma too?


Aries 1B</strong><hr></blockquote>


<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> Yah, Six Sigma in the early 90's maybe when they were a poster-child for collegiate management books. Now they're a poster-child again, albeit in a totally different way.