IBM: Rumor, Bad Reporting, or Ignorance?
Twice in the last several days, my local rag, the Burlington Free Press, has talked about IBM's business strategy for their big (but aging) fab in Essex Junction, Vt.
The plan is to start offering foundry services, as in this quote from today's paper: "The new focus is on making high-end chips designed by other companies, logic chips designed for specific functions, and a targeted lineup of standard products such as microprocessors used in Apple computers."
Sunday's paper said this, in the context of discussing the plant's future viability:
"That focus is on manufacturing, making semiconductor chips for a variety of customers, from IBM to other tech companies; making chips designed for specific tasks using the latest technology; and a more targeted line-up of standard products, such as microprocessors.
"Examples of the last, which are made at Essex Junction, include the PowerPC microprocessors, the brains behind Apple's iMac and other successful personal computers; and the chip that powers Nintendo's new GameCube console."
Whoa, the iMac??
This is probably nothing--there's still a G3 iMac, as well as the iBook--but I was intrigued enough to think others here might be interested as well. Probably the reporter is way BEHIND the curve -- but what if, just what if, he is AHEAD of what's going on...
I should point out that it's clear in context that the Apple connection in the plant's future plans is coming from the plant's spokesman, not the reporter. So there might be some there there since the G3 is largely in Apple's past and the PR guy was talking about the future...
fo
<a href="http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/bfpnews/business/sunday/1000h.htm"; target="_blank">Sunday story link</a>
The plan is to start offering foundry services, as in this quote from today's paper: "The new focus is on making high-end chips designed by other companies, logic chips designed for specific functions, and a targeted lineup of standard products such as microprocessors used in Apple computers."
Sunday's paper said this, in the context of discussing the plant's future viability:
"That focus is on manufacturing, making semiconductor chips for a variety of customers, from IBM to other tech companies; making chips designed for specific tasks using the latest technology; and a more targeted line-up of standard products, such as microprocessors.
"Examples of the last, which are made at Essex Junction, include the PowerPC microprocessors, the brains behind Apple's iMac and other successful personal computers; and the chip that powers Nintendo's new GameCube console."
Whoa, the iMac??
This is probably nothing--there's still a G3 iMac, as well as the iBook--but I was intrigued enough to think others here might be interested as well. Probably the reporter is way BEHIND the curve -- but what if, just what if, he is AHEAD of what's going on...
I should point out that it's clear in context that the Apple connection in the plant's future plans is coming from the plant's spokesman, not the reporter. So there might be some there there since the G3 is largely in Apple's past and the PR guy was talking about the future...
fo
<a href="http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/bfpnews/business/sunday/1000h.htm"; target="_blank">Sunday story link</a>
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