We can’t Produce Graphics Chips on a SOI Process
Tom’s Hardware: Are there any plans for the UMPC market, i.e. compact portable PCs with low power consumption?
J. Polster: The UMPC market is one with very low sales volumes. We’ll be there when that market grows. For now, there are no clear signals for this to happen. We’re talking about a product here that is positioned between a notebook and an iPhone.
Tom’s Hardware: Let’s talk about physics acceleration in 3D games. When could the technology needed for such mathematical calculations be integrated in to graphics chips?
J. Polster: Thanks to the merger between AMD and ATI, we have a lot more possibilities now, so that such a development is indeed feasible. Currently a lot depends on software support, which is still lacking for now. We see this as a medium-term development. Naturally we also think about how to harness the power of graphics chips for demanding tasks as well.
Tom’s Hardware: Currently, TSMC in Taiwan produces all of ATI’s graphics chips. When can we expect to see the first graphics chips out of Dresden?
J. Polster: Dresden is our worldwide processor manufacturing centre. Almost all of our CPUs are produced there in our Fab 36. However, don’t forget that we are talking about two very different production processes for CPUs and GPUs. For example, we can’t produce graphics chips on a SOI process. Nonetheless, you can expect Dresden to play an important role in producing our upcoming Fusion technology.
Tom’s Hardware: What’s the deal with the cooperation between AMD and Nvidia in the chipset business? Are the contracts about to expire?
J. Polster: Even though we are offering our own platform with Spider, we are still in favour of solutions with open standards – and Nvidia is still a part of that strategy.
Tom’s Hardware: Can you share some information about the revenue situation within the company? For example, is the graphics business currently subsidizing the processor division?
J. Polster: No, we don’t publicize this information on principle.
Tom’s Hardware: Future hard drives – so called solid-state disks - will be based on flash memory. How far along is the development in your plant in Austin, Texas (USA), in preparing for this new market?
J. Polster: That is not related to our core business, but rather to that of Spansion. Since Spansion has meanwhile become an independent company, I would recommend asking there. I can say this much, though - in principle, we are convinced that flash memory will be very successful.
Tom’s Hardware: Thank you for this interview, Mister Polster.
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for god sake, toms please run through your article with windows spell checker in word before you publish it on the net!
Waving not drowning...
Hey, "UK_GANGSTA"! See that funny key on the bottom left of your keyboard - the one that looks like an arrow pointing upwards? It's called a shift key and it allows you to use CAPITAL LETTERS to start sentences and access all sorts of pretty symbols like apostraphes.
Pot, meet kettle ;-P
lol , pot meet kettle,
Hmm, well in that case, you could say that the exclamation mark(!) should be inside the speech marks("), although i would choose not to use one at all.
also there no need for a comma(,) after pot; and you should have put meets instead of 'meet' your grammar is atrocious.
He has a point for a reputable site, 'Toms Hardware Guide', should use spell checker, found on the industry standard word processor.
Hi to all hardware chaps,
If I had been interviewing Mr. Polster I might have inquired:
"How long can the Arabs and German government prop up AMD before the inevitable happens and your firm goes into receivership??"
OK THG might stop getting all those free samples but it would be interesting to see the look on his face!!
I did feel the interview was a bit "business as usual" but AMD is NOT like the U.S. Government and spiraling debt does not just go away... I just look at my credit cards to see that!! The more in debt they get the less they will have to spend on R&D and the more they will spiral downwards...
Bob
AMD Opteron inside!!