AMD

Advanced Micro Devices is introducing its new processors that will aim personal computers and challenge Intel and Nvidia. New Llano chips will include both central and graphics processors meant for mid- to high-end laptops and desktop computers.

Part of AMD’s Fusion family the new chips significantly improve battery life and will go on sale very soon.

According to the forecast made by market research firm HIS iSuppli, half of the notebooks and a growing number of PCs shipped in 2011 will feature graphics-enabled microprocessors as designers Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) increase competition for the units that raise multimedia speeds without additional hardware.

HIS says that the processors with built-in graphics capabilities will be installed this year on 115 million notebooks, half of total shipments, and 63 million desktop PCs, or 45 percent of the total.

Advanced Micro Devices has joined the open source MeeGo project launched by rival Intel and Nokia in a move to benefit from potential growth in demand for devices using the new platform.

Intel and Nokia announced their plans earlier this year to develop MeeGo, a merger of Nokia's Linux Maemo software platform with Intel's Moblin, which is also based on Linux open-source software.

The MeeGo operating system was designed for netbooks, tablets, in-vehicle infotainment systems and smartphones.
 

 Another case ended with the victory of Securities and Exchange Commission. This time the SEC has accused one of the largest computer-making company Dell. It was announced that on Thursday several former executives of Dell, and its founder, Michael S. have agreed to pay more than $100 million in penalties.  

Toshiba has introduced its new line of laptops. This week the company unveiled the C650, L650 and L670, and they're essentially the consumer models upgraded with Windows 7 Pro.

According to the reports, the L650 and L670 have, respectively, 15.6in and 17.3in 1366 x 768 displays. The machines are equipped with AMD ATI Mobility Radeon 5650 1GB graphics chips and Intel CPUs represented in a choice of 2.13GHz Core i3-330M or 2.26GHz Core i5-430M.

According to the study by IDC the share of Advanced Micro Devices in the processors market increased at the expense of Intel during the fourth quarter of 2009.

IDC reports that Advanced Micro Devices across the globe "achieved all time record levels for a single quarter.” Microprocessor shipments climbed by 31.3% in Q$ 2009 as compared with the same period in 2008.

BofA Merrill Lynch turned bearish on the industry and downgraded several chipmakers, including Intel Corp., what led to the sharp falling of semiconductor stocks. Shares of Intel fell 6 percent to $19.01. Rival AMD dropped 5 percent to $6.96.
As for other chipmakers the situation is looking the following way: Nvidia dropped 5 percent to $12.87; Micron (MU.N) was down 7 percent at $6.97; and RF Micro (RFMD.O) was down 5 percent at $4.42. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (.SOXX) was down 4 percent at 309.37.

 This week AMD announced its new ATI Radeon HD 5970 video card. Being the "world's fastest” it joins the ranks of DirectX 11 capable graphics cards, and includes ATI's Eyefinity multi-display technology.

The HD 5970 features an integrated HD Audio controller, efficiency tools to lighten the card's power consumption, and nearly 5 teraflops of power.

Intel Corp will pay rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc $1.25 billion to settle all outstanding legal disputes, in a move that can hasten the resolution of Intel's antitrust troubles.

AMD, whose shares jumped 22 percent, agreed to withdraw essentially all its regulatory complaints and litigation against Intel, ending a global campaign that it has waged on the world's largest chipmaker for 12 years.