9 ms·

This is -- to say the least -- frustrating. First, the busted microcode is still available on the Intel Download Center[1], without any warning that they reco

This is -- to say the least -- frustrating. First, the busted microcode is still available on the Intel Download Center[1], without any warning that they recommend that you not, in fact, install it. Second, the press release is still being evasive: they have not merely "received reports"; they in fact know that it's causing issues, and the press release is avoiding the much stronger language that Intel is giving privately (namely, don't install this). The broken microcode is (at some level, anyway) forgivable; Intel's ongoing inability to communicate transparently and honestly with its customers during this crisis of its creation is much less so. [1] https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27431/Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-File?product=52214 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27431/Linux-Proces...

Aloha 9y ago
if you're going to make the accusation that they're lying, at least provide a source - near as I can tell they are being as transparent as is reasonable.
- nl 9y ago
  bcantrill is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Cantrill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Cantrill If he is saying that Intel is giving other advice privately then you are welcome not to believe him (and note that it is you who is using the much stronger term "lying" here). Personally I think un-sourced statements from him are worth listening to.
  - Aloha 9y ago
    My general attitude is to presume good faith - both on intels part, and on the part of commenters online. I had no idea who he was till you raised the point with me - had he I identified some source for his assertions (even first had observation on a large number of systems), I probably wouldn't have said anything.
- loeg 9y ago
  Not that it's a source you can point to, but I have also heard the much stronger language — don't push this microcode — trickle out of Intel.
- tedunangst 9y ago
  https://www.wsj.com/articles/intel-warns-its-patches-for-chip-flaws-are-buggy-1515715212 https://www.wsj.com/articles/intel-warns-its-patches-for-chi...
gatmne 9y ago
Why should they bother communicating clearly with their customers? Who are those customers going to turn to? AMD? ARM? Between Intel's numerous CPU bugs that they refused to refund customers for and ME, it's crystal clear what Intel thinks about their customers.
- SteveNuts 9y ago
  Customers actually could turn to AMD... their offerings are very competitive right now.
  - djsumdog 9y ago
    I'm thinking of building an AMD dev box. For enterprise consumers, if they're using 1U or blade servers, they could make the choice to switch to AMD for future nodes.
    - noir_lord 9y ago
      I have a Ryzen developer box at work and it is awesome, paired with 32GB of RAM and SSD's it absolutely screams. My next home PC will be Ryzen 2 at some point this year.
      - leonroy 9y ago
        Linux or Windows? I've been doing dev on a large React app recently and the thought of running npm install on Windows makes me anxious about the performance vs my Mac - wondering if Windows has gotten better of late with lots of tiny file I/O.
    - sangnoir 9y ago
      I strongly recommend that you go AMD. I went all-in on AMD - I agonized over the choice between 8-core Ryzen and 8-core ThreadRipper: ended up with a 12-core TR thanks to steep holiday-season discounts that lowered prices one rung down. TR4-socket motherboards a way more expensive compared to Ryzen ones (same-old AM4 socket). I know my box is overkill for my needs now, but upgradeability is a big plus for me; I'm only using 16GB of RAM, but could up that to 128GB, and maybe I might swap out the CPU for a 64-core Zen4+ in 2022. For reference, my last dev box is from 2010[1](!) which I upgraded over time and this strategy has served me well. YMMV. 1. Westmere - 1st Gen 'Intel Core'
frik 9y ago
The smiling face of VP Navin Shenoy next to each Intel Meltdown press release is highly inappropriate! (in the HN news article linked above https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-security-issue-update-addressing-reboot-issues/ https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-security-issue-update-... )
spdy 9y ago
They cant because every PR is written by a lawyer this is full protection mode against lawsuits who are coming anyway.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
akromyk 9y ago
I've only owned Intel processors my entire life but this crosses a line. I plan to buy my first AMD motherboard/cpu and not look back. I really hope that one day Intel realizes that it's not enough to distract us with new shiny toys. Nearly all of us want solid trustworthy hardware first and foremost.
paulie_a 9y ago
This entire issue will eventually become a case study entitled "how to fail at incident response, PR and make customers hate you"

Aloha 9y ago

if you're going to make the accusation that they're lying, at least provide a source - near as I can tell they are being as transparent as is reasonable.

nl 9y ago
bcantrill is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Cantrill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Cantrill If he is saying that Intel is giving other advice privately then you are welcome not to believe him (and note that it is you who is using the much stronger term "lying" here). Personally I think un-sourced statements from him are worth listening to.
- Aloha 9y ago
  My general attitude is to presume good faith - both on intels part, and on the part of commenters online. I had no idea who he was till you raised the point with me - had he I identified some source for his assertions (even first had observation on a large number of systems), I probably wouldn't have said anything.
loeg 9y ago
Not that it's a source you can point to, but I have also heard the much stronger language — don't push this microcode — trickle out of Intel.
tedunangst 9y ago
https://www.wsj.com/articles/intel-warns-its-patches-for-chip-flaws-are-buggy-1515715212 https://www.wsj.com/articles/intel-warns-its-patches-for-chi...

gatmne 9y ago

Why should they bother communicating clearly with their customers? Who are those customers going to turn to? AMD? ARM? Between Intel's numerous CPU bugs that they refused to refund customers for and ME, it's crystal clear what Intel thinks about their customers.

SteveNuts 9y ago
Customers actually could turn to AMD... their offerings are very competitive right now.
- djsumdog 9y ago
  I'm thinking of building an AMD dev box. For enterprise consumers, if they're using 1U or blade servers, they could make the choice to switch to AMD for future nodes.
  - noir_lord 9y ago
    I have a Ryzen developer box at work and it is awesome, paired with 32GB of RAM and SSD's it absolutely screams. My next home PC will be Ryzen 2 at some point this year.
    - leonroy 9y ago
      Linux or Windows? I've been doing dev on a large React app recently and the thought of running npm install on Windows makes me anxious about the performance vs my Mac - wondering if Windows has gotten better of late with lots of tiny file I/O.
  - sangnoir 9y ago
    I strongly recommend that you go AMD. I went all-in on AMD - I agonized over the choice between 8-core Ryzen and 8-core ThreadRipper: ended up with a 12-core TR thanks to steep holiday-season discounts that lowered prices one rung down. TR4-socket motherboards a way more expensive compared to Ryzen ones (same-old AM4 socket). I know my box is overkill for my needs now, but upgradeability is a big plus for me; I'm only using 16GB of RAM, but could up that to 128GB, and maybe I might swap out the CPU for a 64-core Zen4+ in 2022. For reference, my last dev box is from 2010[1](!) which I upgraded over time and this strategy has served me well. YMMV. 1. Westmere - 1st Gen 'Intel Core'

frik 9y ago

The smiling face of VP Navin Shenoy next to each Intel Meltdown press release is highly inappropriate! (in the HN news article linked above https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-security-issue-update-addressing-reboot-issues/ https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-security-issue-update-... )

spdy 9y ago

They cant because every PR is written by a lawyer this is full protection mode against lawsuits who are coming anyway.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

akromyk 9y ago

I've only owned Intel processors my entire life but this crosses a line. I plan to buy my first AMD motherboard/cpu and not look back. I really hope that one day Intel realizes that it's not enough to distract us with new shiny toys. Nearly all of us want solid trustworthy hardware first and foremost.

paulie_a 9y ago

This entire issue will eventually become a case study entitled "how to fail at incident response, PR and make customers hate you"