In Russia, Intel’s advertising vehicle is literally a vehicle. A Tank. Also: hot chicks.

I’m skeptical that cybertank.ru is an official effort by Intel. Looks more like a third party using Intel’s advertising funds.

I’ve known for a while that Intel won’t be deploying Microsoft Vista internally. Now that the New York Times is reporting on it, you can know too.

Intel, the giant chip maker and longtime partner of Microsoft, has decided against upgrading the computers of its own 80,000 employees to Microsoft’s Vista operating system, a person with direct knowledge of the company’s plans said.

The person, who has been briefed on the situation but requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of Intel’s relationship with Microsoft, said the company made its decision after a lengthy analysis by its internal technology staff of the costs and potential benefits of moving to Windows Vista, which has drawn fire from many customers as a buggy, bloated program that requires costly hardware upgrades to run smoothly.

“This isn’t a matter of dissing Microsoft, but Intel information technology staff just found no compelling case for adopting Vista,” the person said.

An Intel spokesman said the company was testing and deploying Vista in certain departments, but not across the company.

Intel reported earnings yesterday, record earnings. Because Intel did not meet the expectations of analysts the stock is getting hammered.

Joel Hruska at Ars Technica has a great commentary on why they are expecting too much from a good thing.

Instead of considering Intel's Q4 2007 and projected Q1 2008 performance as proof of any weakness in the tech industry, financial analysts should step back and consider that they, themselves may have been irrationally exuberant. Intel's quarterly report and balance sheet reveal no pressing weaknesses. Business is strong across the entire globe, operating income and gross margins both rose significantly, and the company's lower-than-expected first quarter revenue projection is lower than analysts would like precisely because Intel chose to err on the side of caution.

Disclaimer: I work for Intel.

I wonder if this is going to be housed in what used to be Fab7

A California company will build a supercomputer here that will be housed at Intel Corp. in Rio Rancho. SGI of California has been awarded an $11 million state contract to build the computer. Businesses, governments and schools will be able to use the facility, to be called the New Mexico Computing Applications Center, to model complex problems, according to Gov. Bill Richardson's office. These range from creating new products to modeling scenarios for New Mexico's future water supply.

I was prepared both mentally and financially to be laid off. My years of employment at Intel would have provided me with several months of pay. The state is helping everyone find jobs (you know, our Governor is running for President). There was also the chance of going to school. I know, I should be grateful that I have a job particularly since Intel pays so well. Especially for New Mexico. But there were some benefits to being laid off and I am ready for a new career. Or that's what I have convinced myself leading up to last week. Not to mention that the whole process left a bad taste in my mouth.

There is no good way to do a layoff. There seems to be bad ways to do layoffs. The common way, it seems to me from talking with others who have gone through layoffs at other companies, is that people are suddenly missing one day without warning. You show up to work and a bunch of people are no longer there. Intel's way was different, it was a process. I could go on and on and on about this, but I will leave it at this for now. Since I still have a job, I want to keep it and stay out of trouble.

The whole reason for these layoffs, which has been widely reported, is that Intel is moving from 200mm to 300mm wafer sizes. There are two factories here, a 200 and 300 one. Merging them together with all the wonders of automation in the 300mm factory means you need less people to run it. New Mexico didn't have the only 200mm factory, all other factories like this should pay attention to what happened here.

It's good that I have a job, at least I can focus on other things that don't involve looking for a job. I paid off my debt in preparation, that was also a good thing. This next year should bring along some changes, time to hold on for the ride.

Related: June 30, 2006: Intel -- will it, or won't it?

Intel sponsored Conan OBrian when he was in San Francisco. He thanked them by visiting the Santa Clara site. Everything he says is funny and sadly true.

Update 7/8/07: Evil, money grubbing NBC forced YouTube to remove the clips.

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) -- Intel Corp. said Tuesday that it expects to cut more than 1,000 jobs at its Rio Rancho plant as the company ends production of an older silicon wafer technology. Intel will stop making the 200-millimeter wafers at the plant by the end of August, and affected employees will be offered severance packages or can apply for other jobs within the company, spokesman Jami Grindatto said.

Anyone who works at the Intel Rio Rancho plant knew this was coming. I know a large number of people that have been waiting to for a chance to get out with a severance package. Still, this sucks. One fifth (20%) of the people that work at this plant will be gone wether they like it or not.

The AP article doesn't mention when Intel expect to have everyone out but this KOB article say they start in August.

A article from the Albuquerque Tribune says:

Larry Waldman, a senior economist with the University of New Mexico's Bureau of Business and Economic Research, projects the layoffs expected to come in August could cause the loss of another 1,000 jobs in places such as the retail and service sectors. "It's not going to be just 1,000 jobs when you look at effects on other parts of the economy," said Waldman, referring to retail and service jobs that might supplement Intel workers. While that may not be the rosiest picture, Waldman said the losses will have only a minor impact on the economies of both the state and Albuquerque metro

Update 5/7/07: From the Trib:

U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici has asked Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to assign staff from her agency's Dallas office to coordinate job placement programs for the 1,000-plus workers expected to lose their jobs at Intel Corp.'s Rio Rancho plant.

Intel Corp. said on Monday it will spend $1 billion to $1.5 billion to retool a factory in New Mexico, which will start to make chips with cutting-edge 45-nanometer-wide transistors in the second half of 2008.

The factory to be renovated in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, is known as Fab 11X and will be the fourth Intel plant to use 45-nanometer technology, which includes new materials that boost chip efficiency by cutting leakage of electrical current.

My employment is secure.

Here's a little bit more information about the IRB that was used to fund this upgrade. Looks like there's some money left in the pot.

While Intel Corp. said today it will be laying off 1,000 managerial positions worldwide, no layoffs at the Rio Rancho facility have been announced to date. Intel's Rio Rancho spokeswoman Liz Shipley wouldn't disclose or speculate on how many layoffs, if any, the Rio Rancho facility would see as a result of the company's decision.

Link

UPDATE: Intel says Rio Rancho plant will experience layoffs

I never thought in a million years that this would happen. Intel based Macs will be out next year. I'm sitting here besides my self...

Apple to Use Intel Microprocessors Beginning in 2006

WWDC 2005, SAN FRANCISCO—June 6, 2005—At its Worldwide Developer Conference today, Apple® announced plans to deliver models of its Macintosh® computers using Intel® microprocessors by this time next year, and to transition all of its Macs to using Intel microprocessors by the end of 2007. Apple previewed a version of its critically acclaimed operating system, Mac OS® X Tiger, running on an Intel-based Mac® to the over 3,800 developers attending CEO Steve Jobs’ keynote address. Apple also announced the availability of a Developer Transition Kit, consisting of an Intel-based Mac development system along with preview versions of Apple’s software, which will allow developers to prepare versions of their applications which will run on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.

News that Intel wants to rip off the Mac mini.

A new Wintel prototype that openly apes Apple Computer's popular Mac mini is due out this week, sources told Wired News, giving Intel a showcase to prove its chips are a match for anyone when it comes to tiny PC designs.

Working prototypes of the Mac mini look-alike running Microsoft Windows and based on Intel's Pentium M CPU have already been built by Taiwan PC maker AOpen at Intel's request, according to two sources in Taiwan's PC manufacturing industry who have seen them.

Another rumor that Apple will use Intel chips. Personally I don't care what chips are in their computers, but I find it hard to believe that they would just switch the whole line over to a new processor and dump IBM.

The report, citing two industry executives with knowledge of recent discussions between the companies, said Apple (Research) will agree to use Intel (Research) chips.

Neither company would confirm the report and an Apple spokeswoman told the Journal she would characterize it as "rumor and speculation."

Update 05/24/05 7:59am: This is exactly what I think too.

ut Kevin Krewell, editor in chief of newsletter Microprocessor Report, said he smells an orchestrated media ploy by Apple to pressure IBM to improve its supply problems, which have led to delays in some Apple products. ``I believe this is a purely negotiating move by Apple to grab some attention and headlines and to point out that they're feeling underappreciated by IBM,'' Krewell said.

Updated 05/25/05 08:22 PM: I wouldn't have expectedthis comment.

Pressed about security by Mr. Mossberg, Mr. Otellini had a startling confession: He spends an hour a weekend removing spyware from his daughter's computer. And when further pressed about whether a mainstream computer user in search of immediate safety from security woes ought to buy Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh instead of a Wintel PC, he said, "If you want to fix it tomorrow, maybe you should buy something else."