AMD was a leader in 64-bit processors.
Some are debating which investors benefit with AMD's decision to spin off its chip-making plants. I'm just glad to see the chip company doing something to pull itself from what's been a steady slide against Intel.
AMD has proved the good that competition can do for the consumer. For a while, the underdog designed chips that outperformed Intel's. AMD was producing chips that won on raw computing power, power consumption, and/or features.
But that was a few years ago. Intel responded with investments in new designs and factories that eventually overwhelmed AMD's ability to keep up.
It's fair to question if AMD can ever wholly divorce itself from chip making. Design is closely tied to successful microprocessor production, which is helped with control over factories. But the company had to do something.
While long expected, AMD at least made the move smartly, says Roger Kay, an industry analyst. "It wanted to enter into not just any partnership but the right partnership."
I hope he's right and it keeps AMD in the game.
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