Regarding the Intel Mini Clone...

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
i have just gone back to some older articles about the Intel AOpen Mini clone... what intrigues me is that according to this article it was developed at the REQUEST of Intel. this also was the big story just prior to the announcement that Apple had decided to go the way of Intel CPUs.



http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=35860



is there a chance that Intel (having initiated the manufacturing of the Mac Mini design knock off) was using this as one of it's 'bullying' tactics to garner support as charged by AMD? i think this is the sort of claims of coercion AMD is making about Intel's behavior with companies. how often in Intel's history have they gone and started making low priced desktop computers of their own? especially ones cloned after a company design that NEVER used their CPUs? did Intel (one of the biggest tech companies on the planet) notice that there was a massive market for such design that it persuaded them to get into the PC manufacturing game?



it seems very coincidental and i wonder if Intel will independently pursue this Mini clone desktop for very long since now it will be competing with it's new partner, Apple. how would Apple have reacted to IBM if they were to do exactly the same thing?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Yawn. Yet another conspiracy theory. Intel has been building prototype "PCs of the future" (probably using partners like AOpen) for years.
  • Reply 2 of 13
    Quote:

    Originally posted by wmf

    Yawn. Yet another conspiracy theory. Intel has been building prototype "PCs of the future" (probably using partners like AOpen) for years.



    so the AMD anti trust allegation is nothing more than a falsehood? and a direct Mac Mini clone is a computer of the future?



    this isn't meant to be a conspiracy theory, the AMD allegations are purporting that Intel uses obvious yet indirect ways to coerce companies to buy their products. the introduction of a blatant mimic of the Apple design seems to close for comfort.
  • Reply 3 of 13
    Intel allegedly coerces companies by threatening to greatly increase prices. Not by building demo PCs.
  • Reply 4 of 13
    beigeuserbeigeuser Posts: 371member
    Since the CPU deal probably has been made way before that prototype was made, I imagine that mini-lookalike was Intel bidding for Apples motherboard business.
  • Reply 5 of 13
    smirclesmircle Posts: 1,035member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ghiangelo

    is there a chance that Intel (having initiated the manufacturing of the Mac Mini design knock off) was using this as one of it's 'bullying' tactics to garner support ?



    I doubt intel would be so ruthless (or dumb) to try to coerce a customer from which they had just won a contract and which has not yet announced intel-based products.



    Moreover, I have the feeling that trying to bully S. Jobs in this way will backfire majorly - imho he'd just turn around, pay up the contractural penalty and go with IBM/FreeScale/AMD in response.



    Nevertheless, the timing and look of this prototype is strange.
  • Reply 6 of 13
    blackcatblackcat Posts: 697member
    Stranger still is Apple NOT suing.



    Suing to protect your work is not a choice, if you don't sue on product A ripoff a judge will be less likely to be on your side when you sue for product B ripoff.
  • Reply 7 of 13
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    OTOH, I don't think this AOpen mini clone ever went on sale. There's nothing to sue over.
  • Reply 8 of 13
    Quote:

    Originally posted by wmf

    OTOH, I don't think this AOpen mini clone ever went on sale. There's nothing to sue over.



    hmm if true, this is even more interesting.
  • Reply 9 of 13
    the cool gutthe cool gut Posts: 1,714member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by wmf

    Yawn. Yet another conspiracy theory. Intel has been building prototype "PCs of the future" (probably using partners like AOpen) for years.



    What I don't understand is, when they released this thing - they were in DEEP talks with Apple regarding the switch over. Intel must have known Apple was getting ready to make the decision to jump ship or not. Why would they risk pissing off Apple at such a vital point in time?
  • Reply 10 of 13
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ghiangelo

    hmm if true, this is even more interesting.



    Only when you don't look at the big picture. Last year Company X showed off a cool concept PC that never shipped. The year before that, Company Y showed off a cool concept PC that never shipped. And the year before that...



    http://news.com.com/Microsoft+to+dem...3-5204825.html



    Oh no, Microsoft is getting into the PC market! Wait, no they aren't, it's just a prototype.
  • Reply 11 of 13
    ALso if you look on the AOpen website, it appears in the press release area but theres no mention of a real shipping product. Intel likes to just throw these things out there from time to time (I see there is already a Yonah-based ultraslim PC being demoed - basically a laptop without a screen)
  • Reply 12 of 13
    boukmanboukman Posts: 93member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BeigeUser

    Since the CPU deal probably has been made way before that prototype was made, I imagine that mini-lookalike was Intel bidding for Apples motherboard business.



    That's pretty much what I thought as well : Intel showing Apple what the mini would be like with a Pentium M inside. If you go to Aopen news releases website, you can see that this prototype is even a bit smaller than Apple's Mac mini. In other words, Intel is saying to Apple : we can share some R&D costs if you go with us so you don't have to take the hit alone, and we'll help you do all the interesting stuff you know how to do so well.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Boukman

    That's pretty much what I thought as well : Intel showing Apple what the mini would be like with a Pentium M inside. If you go to Aopen news releases website, you can see that this prototype is even a bit smaller than Apple's Mac mini. In other words, Intel is saying to Apple : we can share some R&D costs if you go with us so you don't have to take the hit alone, and we'll help you do all the interesting stuff you know how to do so well.



    this is my original point. it can look to be a legitimate proposal of partnership but it also has coersive elements. this is what AMD is saying Intel does with the market place. the suggestion is also a veiled threat so to speak. of course this sort of thing happens in business as a rule and it doesn't have to be sinister, it's just that the reason i posted this thread is that the timing of the Intel AOpen prototype and Apple's final announcement of an Intel partnership seemed suspect. after all what Apple is doing is changing it's CPU architecture to x86 and this just so happens to be produced by two companies, Intel AND AMD, who are also in direct competition with each other. this means both AMD and Intel could use this new market. Apple chose Intel, a shock to many who thought AMD was a greater shoe in.



    allegations made by AMD illustrate an Intel as giving both reduced price incentives to buyers as well as pricing threats to existing buyers who might wish to divide their product lines between both AMD and Intel offerings. of course since Intel is massive compared to AMD, sweetening the deal with development aid and conceptual suggestions would certainly help close it (which i'm sure Intel is doing at this moment). this might be something AMD should consider in future promotions of it's chips.
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