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Remember when Microsoft invested in Apple when Apple was down in the dumps? This is giving similar vibes. That deal was arguably what saved Apple near its nadir

by qzw 1y ago

Remember when Microsoft invested in Apple when Apple was down in the dumps? This is giving similar vibes. That deal was arguably what saved Apple near its nadir. I’m not a fan of Intel’s past monopolistic practices, but for the sake of sustaining competition in the CPU/GPU market, I hope this deal works out for them even half as well as the MS deal did for Apple.

vjvjvjvjghv 1y ago
All they need now is a CEO like Steve Jobs…
- __turbobrew__ 1y ago
  Jensen moves to intel …
tremon 1y ago
I don't think that's an apt comparison, given that Microsoft and Apple were more direct competitors than Intel and Nvidia; the latter have a more symbiotic relationship. I think the rationale is closer to the competitor of my competitor is my friend -- they face two threats by AMD growing larger in the CPU market: - a bigger R&D budget for their main competitor in the GPU market - since Nvidia doesn't have their own CPUs, they risk becoming more dependent on their main competitor for total system performance.
- readams 1y ago
  Here's Nvidia's CPUs, which are increasingly a required part of their data center offerings: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/grace-cpu/ https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/grace-cpu/
  - thyristan 1y ago
    Required in that Nvidia would like to sell them to you. But customers seem to be hesitant and prefer x86-based DGX and similar systems. At least from what I've heard and seen.
- scrlk 1y ago
  > since Nvidia doesn't have their own CPUs, they risk becoming more dependent on their main competitor for total system performance. This is why they built the Grace CPU - noting that they're using Arm's Neoverse V2 cores rather than their own design.
jasode 1y ago
>Remember when Microsoft invested in Apple when Apple was down in the dumps? This is giving similar vibes. Doesn't feel the same because the 1997 investment was arranged by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. He had a long personal relationship with Bill Gates so could just call him to drop the outstanding lawsuits and get a commitment for future Office versions on the Mac. Basically, Steve Jobs at relatively young age of 42 was back at Apple in "founder mode" and made bold moves that the prior CEO Gil Amelio couldn't do. Intel doesn't have the same type of leadership. Their new CEO is a career finance/investor instead of a "new products new innovation" type of leader. This $5 billion investment feels more like the result of back-channel discussions with the US government where they "politely" ask NVIDIA to help out Intel in exchange for less restrictions selling chips to China.
- jszymborski 1y ago
  > This $5 billion investment feels more like the result of back-channel discussions with the US government where they "politely" ask NVIDIA to help out Intel in exchange for less restrictions selling chips to China. Stinks of Mussolini-style Corporatism to me.
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  - kjksf 1y ago
    You try to pin this (hypothetical) as fascism. Let's assume Trump admin pressured Nvidia to invest in intel. Chips act (voted by Democrats / Biden) gave Intel up to $7.8 billion of YOUR money (taxes) in form of direct grants. Was it more of "Mussolini-style corporatism" to you or not?
    - unethical_ban 1y ago
      The parent comment is speculation. But yes, speculatively, a legislative act of investment would be less authoritarian than the whims of an executive that puts tariffs on your product constantly unless you do what he says.
znpy 1y ago
> Remember when Microsoft invested in Apple when Apple was down in the dumps? Had Apple failed, Microsoft would probably have been found to have a clear monopolistic position. And microsoft was already in hot waters due to InternetExplorer IIRC.
- rhetocj23 1y ago
  Yep. MSFT needed Apple because of Anti-trust issues. Apples demise wouldve nailed the case.
mrtksn 1y ago
Does intel have someone who will return and change the course of the company or return to its original mission or something of that sort?
- sigwinch 1y ago
  Oh, I bet Elon has been handed some ideas.
xbmcuser 1y ago
Nah I have feeling this is part of the result of the arm twisting to be allowed to sell to China.
- mandevil 1y ago
  This is a big ask for a shrinking market- with the pressure that the Chinese government is putting on their domestic companies to not buy H20's, I'm not sure how big this is going to be going forward. 5 billion (plus whatever it costs to build these products) is a lot for a market that is probably going to be closed soon.
jeffwask 1y ago
It's even more ironic when you remember in 2005 the tables were turned, and Intel was trying to buy Nvidia.
aenopix 1y ago
Competition?
ErigmolCt 1y ago
That Microsoft-Apple deal was part lifeline, part strategic insurance. Intel clearly needs a win, and Nvidia needs more control over its ecosystem without being chained to TSMC forever
signa11 1y ago
where / who is intel's steve-jobs ?

by qzw 1y ago

vjvjvjvjghv 1y ago

All they need now is a CEO like Steve Jobs…

__turbobrew__ 1y ago
Jensen moves to intel …

tremon 1y ago

I don't think that's an apt comparison, given that Microsoft and Apple were more direct competitors than Intel and Nvidia; the latter have a more symbiotic relationship. I think the rationale is closer to the competitor of my competitor is my friend -- they face two threats by AMD growing larger in the CPU market: - a bigger R&D budget for their main competitor in the GPU market - since Nvidia doesn't have their own CPUs, they risk becoming more dependent on their main competitor for total system performance.

readams 1y ago
Here's Nvidia's CPUs, which are increasingly a required part of their data center offerings: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/grace-cpu/ https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/grace-cpu/
- thyristan 1y ago
  Required in that Nvidia would like to sell them to you. But customers seem to be hesitant and prefer x86-based DGX and similar systems. At least from what I've heard and seen.
scrlk 1y ago
> since Nvidia doesn't have their own CPUs, they risk becoming more dependent on their main competitor for total system performance. This is why they built the Grace CPU - noting that they're using Arm's Neoverse V2 cores rather than their own design.

jasode 1y ago

>Remember when Microsoft invested in Apple when Apple was down in the dumps? This is giving similar vibes. Doesn't feel the same because the 1997 investment was arranged by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. He had a long personal relationship with Bill Gates so could just call him to drop the outstanding lawsuits and get a commitment for future Office versions on the Mac. Basically, Steve Jobs at relatively young age of 42 was back at Apple in "founder mode" and made bold moves that the prior CEO Gil Amelio couldn't do. Intel doesn't have the same type of leadership. Their new CEO is a career finance/investor instead of a "new products new innovation" type of leader. This $5 billion investment feels more like the result of back-channel discussions with the US government where they "politely" ask NVIDIA to help out Intel in exchange for less restrictions selling chips to China.

jszymborski 1y ago
> This $5 billion investment feels more like the result of back-channel discussions with the US government where they "politely" ask NVIDIA to help out Intel in exchange for less restrictions selling chips to China. Stinks of Mussolini-style Corporatism to me.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- kjksf 1y ago
  You try to pin this (hypothetical) as fascism. Let's assume Trump admin pressured Nvidia to invest in intel. Chips act (voted by Democrats / Biden) gave Intel up to $7.8 billion of YOUR money (taxes) in form of direct grants. Was it more of "Mussolini-style corporatism" to you or not?
  - unethical_ban 1y ago
    The parent comment is speculation. But yes, speculatively, a legislative act of investment would be less authoritarian than the whims of an executive that puts tariffs on your product constantly unless you do what he says.

znpy 1y ago

> Remember when Microsoft invested in Apple when Apple was down in the dumps? Had Apple failed, Microsoft would probably have been found to have a clear monopolistic position. And microsoft was already in hot waters due to InternetExplorer IIRC.

rhetocj23 1y ago
Yep. MSFT needed Apple because of Anti-trust issues. Apples demise wouldve nailed the case.

mrtksn 1y ago

Does intel have someone who will return and change the course of the company or return to its original mission or something of that sort?

sigwinch 1y ago
Oh, I bet Elon has been handed some ideas.

xbmcuser 1y ago

Nah I have feeling this is part of the result of the arm twisting to be allowed to sell to China.

mandevil 1y ago
This is a big ask for a shrinking market- with the pressure that the Chinese government is putting on their domestic companies to not buy H20's, I'm not sure how big this is going to be going forward. 5 billion (plus whatever it costs to build these products) is a lot for a market that is probably going to be closed soon.

jeffwask 1y ago

It's even more ironic when you remember in 2005 the tables were turned, and Intel was trying to buy Nvidia.

aenopix 1y ago

Competition?

ErigmolCt 1y ago

That Microsoft-Apple deal was part lifeline, part strategic insurance. Intel clearly needs a win, and Nvidia needs more control over its ecosystem without being chained to TSMC forever

signa11 1y ago

where / who is intel's steve-jobs ?