Hardware: Fast Forward: Another Leap For Intel

[zombie67]

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fea...her_leap_intel

[...]FinFETs can handle higher drive currents and switch between their on and off states at lower voltages. Chip designers can use those characteristics to reach higher clock speeds, or use less power, or achieve some combination of those advantages. FinFETs also leak much less current when the transistor is switched off.

Intel now has a fundamentally superior transistor, in addition to its 18- to 24-month lead in lithography. While Intel is moving into 22nm production this year, competitors are lagging a generation behind, just starting 32nm or 28nm production. Some companies don’t expect to have FinFETs until one process generation after Intel (14nm). Others have no FinFET roadmap at all. It adds up to a four-year lead for Intel—a huge obstacle for rival chipmakers to overcome.[...]

[YoDude9999]

I have loved Intel since they introduced the 8080 chip back in the 70's. It was the first real micro processor chip that was made widely available to the general public. This was back in the day when people hand crafted homemade computers from scratch and Radio Shack carried all the parts you could ever want to do it with.

If you were careful in your building practices, you could construct a fully functional home computer, interface it to a monochrome monitor (which was all there was at the time), a keyboard, 8 inch floppy drive, 64K of memory and it would run balls out at 2MHZ on a proven operating system called CP/M.

Those were the days, but look how far we've come since then! WOW!

[DrPop]

This is awesome news, and my cousin works for Intel, so I am definitely happy for them. However, this presents a particular problem for best cruncher for the $ in the future. As their rival(s) lag further and further afield, will Intel keep the price down so the average Joe can buy their new chips? Or does this get us into some "no competition" zone and skyrocketing prices for future tech?

[Fire$torm]

This is awesome news, and my cousin works for Intel, so I am definitely happy for them. However, this presents a particular problem for best cruncher for the $ in the future. As their rival(s) lag further and further afield, will Intel keep the price down so the average Joe can buy their new chips? Or does this get us into some "no competition" zone and skyrocketing prices for future tech?

Historically when Intel has no close rival they ratchet up their prices. This usually tends to benefit their competitors in the mid-range & entry-level markets. That in turn forces Intel to scale back production of consumer level products which leave their Corporate customers to bear the burden for Intel's profit margins. So the sh_t rolls down hill from there in the form of higher fees companies charge their end users or clients for services.

Joy, joy, joy...............

[John P. Myers]

I have loved Intel since they introduced the 8080 chip back in the 70's. It was the first real micro processor chip that was made widely available to the general public. This was back in the day when people hand crafted homemade computers from scratch and Radio Shack carried all the parts you could ever want to do it with.

If you were careful in your building practices, you could construct a fully functional home computer, interface it to a monochrome monitor (which was all there was at the time), a keyboard, 8 inch floppy drive, 64K of memory and it would run balls out at 2MHZ on a proven operating system called CP/M.

Those were the days, but look how far we've come since then! WOW!

I've never used CP/M, but i have used OS/2, DOS, Linux and every version of windows under the sun. My favorite operating system of all time is DOS. IMHO, it's the last thing M$ did correctly/efficiently.
I actually knew about this tri-gate transistor about a month ago. Then, as now, i've still not heard definitively when they will begin using it and which chips, exactly, will sport these lovely things. Until then, great news, but...bleh.

[Crazybob]

I say they fork over 3-4 dozen of these so some experienced people can try them out for them.