Intel and Via make deal

Most of Intel's many lawsuits against the Taiwan-based Via have been dropped and the company is allowing the chip set maker to support double data rate (DDR) memories for Celeron processors, a possible setback for Rambus DRAMs. VIA is considered the primary source of chip sets to support DDR standard.

In an related story, a Semiconductor Business News analyst reports that Intel is close to winning the right to buy 4 million Rambus shares, trading recently at about $100, for only $2.50 each. The purchase would net the company a $390 million windfall.

For different perspectives on the Via Intel agreement, read either www.semibiznews.com or www.forbes.com. To read about the Intel Rambus stock deal, go to www.semibiznews.com.