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Intel Software Linux

Intel Warns Asia Over Linux Plan 432

rimbaldi writes "Intel's CEO, Craig Barrett recently warned the Chinese government that their attempt to create regional standards for computers and communications, including standards using Linux-based software, may be doomed to failure, since 'such a strategy might protect local companies and markets in the short term, [but] it would make it more difficult for Asian companies to participate in world markets.' This is in reaction to earlier Slashdot-covered stories about an Asian software consortium and China disallowing foreign software."
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Intel Warns Asia Over Linux Plan

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  • by typobox43 ( 677545 ) <typobox43@gmail.com> on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:47PM (#7027341) Homepage
    If there was any doubt that Microsoft all but owns Intel, let it be resolved now.
    • by tugrul ( 750 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:53PM (#7027419)
      ... China's own [slashdot.org] attempts [slashdot.org] at a cpu. With Linux and a good plan, these nations will only be a recompile away from ditching Intel.
      • by greylion3 ( 555507 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:05PM (#7027586)
        The parent to this comment has an extremely good point - without Linux, they would have to start from scratch writing an OS for their new chip.
        With Linux, all they have to do is write a good compiler.
        • Strange.

          Intel has been one of Linux's greatest supporters. It has helped Intel break into the risc dominated unix field with cheap lintel servers.

          Infact all the recent Itanium and Pentium4 chips were designed using Linux.

          Intel has its own internal LUG that numbers over 10k. They have been working hard to gnu-ify and change the kernel so it can compile on intel's compilers.

          If anything this should give Intel an advantage because proprietary chips are more expensive or slower because they can not be produc
          • Article is BS (Score:3, Insightful)

            by 0x0d0a ( 568518 )
            Strange.

            Intel has been one of Linux's greatest supporters. It has helped Intel break into the risc dominated unix field with cheap lintel servers.


            The problem is that the original article had a significant slant, and the Slashdot post warped this entirely out of context. Look at the original quote. Barrett is simply warning China that trying to *deliberately* produce incompatible systems to protect local tech companies is a bad idea. (If the only computer you can use in China is Chinese-made, it helps
    • I don't see how embracing an open implementation (Linux) of a 30 year old industry standard (Unix) is going to keep someone locked out of a global marketplace. Seventy percent of the world server market isn't exactly a technical backwater.

      I have to agree; the only possible reason for intel to take this stance is money from M$. Otherwise, they only stand to gain by other countries embracing the first *nix to be specifically designed to be compatible with Intel chips.
      • the only possible reason for intel to take this stance is money from M$

        well, there is intel's profits to be concerned with. if china rolls out it's own chipset, national protectionism and government consumption will make it a non-trivial contender.

        of course, this will almost assuredly never happen because this is exactly the sort of thing the wto has been working on abolishing. setting up national tariff and subsidy barriers to protect domestic industry is much "worse" for the economy than allowing fle

    • reasonable point of view about this issue. I believe that Barret is honestly and forthrightly expressing good advice, unburdened with personal aspirations or concerns. I believe that aliens have been stealing spaceships full of Gouda cheese as weapons against the Ant People of Sector Omega. I hope that people can give Mr. Barret the benefit of the doubt that he is trying to use his experience to help the governments of Asia on this important issue.
    • There is actually a lot of doubt. Intel has been trying for years to find ways around Microsoft. They have just failed badly like most non processor related projects.

      Intel has other problems with china trying to build its own OS for its own CPU chip. Its the CPU chip if they really have one.

      This is all part of an even bigger picture. Corperate america is hitting a wall and hitting it hard. I saw the same thing at Motorola. The Asain market has been the next big thing for close to 10 years now an
    • by Glasswire ( 302197 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @08:21PM (#7029629) Homepage
      Despite a long-standing and profitable relationship which constrains public friction, Intel and Microsoft have often had battles of varing seriousness on a bunch of topics...

      Intel has been / is mad at Microsoft about:
      - Constant attempts over the years to generalize their OSes to other processor archectures (NT on Alpha/MIPs, Pocket PC on all sorts of non-Intel (non X-scale) cpus and, of course, x86-64 and the eventual cpu independent version of .Net)
      - Blocking Intel [informationweek.com] on hardware standards and initiatives
      - Microsoft dragging it's feet about supporting new hardware features in the OS (eg USB on NT (never really), Hyperthreading (2 years) and Itanium Architecture (Linux had IA64 up and running 3 years before Ms)
      -Microsoft's attempt to position Intel cpus as just another processor they support.

      Microsoft has been / is mad at Intel about:
      - Intel's general support of Linux in general including founding and funding the Open Source Development Lab (where Linus and Andrew are employed now)
      - Intel's support of HP in running HP-UX on Itanium and Intel's historic support for Novell Netware, Solaris, Unixware and other Unices
      -Support for OS-independent management and other hardware APIs that let other OSes get parity or better with Windows
      -Occasionally making end-users aware of the prickly truth that the cost advantage of "Wintel" vs big RISC UNIX is all Intel hardware economics which makes the solution cheaper in spite of the greater cost of the Ms software
      -Intel's attempt to position Windows as just another OS they support.
  • Huh (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    who woulda thought that this was Intel's stance on the position? China subsidizing the Dragon chip doesn't make Intel that happy.
    • Re:Huh (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ahfoo ( 223186 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:52PM (#7027405) Journal
      My thoughts exactly.
      Really going out on a limb at this point for Intel to criticize China. The Dragon chip is one thing. I think the bigger issue that we're just starting to hear bits and pieces about over at eet is immersion lithography.
      Intel is the lone voice of dissent swearing it's not going to work while IBM and Infineon keep coming up with reports on how great it is and how quickly ASML, Canon and Nikon are going to be bringing tools to market.
      Meanwhile Infineon is getting all cozy making deals all over the place.
      • Re:Huh (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Stargoat ( 658863 )
        This is for obvious reasons. Intel has something to defend, namely its near monoploy. IBM would like to see nothing more than Intel find itself against a competator.

        China has been looking for ways for a decade now to stick it to the US economy. Someone over there must think that they can have a measurable effect on world PC standards.

        • Re:Huh (Score:2, Informative)

          They have been sticking it to the US economy already. Since the yuan is not a free-floating currency, Chinese exporters are at an advantage compared to US exporters. They can flood our market with cheap goods and we on the other hand have to sell our exports in China at a high price. The result has been an ever increasing trade and current-account deficit for the US. The latest steps towards the Dragon Chip and a Red-Flag type OS are a very smart move indeed, and a continuation of a very effective economic
    • Re:Huh (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Trigun ( 685027 )
      They just want to keep the Chinese as a cheap labour force. Prevent them from producing anything that isn't sold in a bargain bin, and you've doomed them to western dependance.

      I for one welcome our new Chinese overlords.

      • Re:Huh (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Stargoat ( 658863 ) <stargoat@gmail.com> on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:01PM (#7027530) Journal
        China's own government is keeping the Chinese as a cheap labour force. Preventing strikes and non-government approved unions does that sort of thing.
        • Re:Huh (Score:3, Interesting)

          by Trigun ( 685027 )
          But the world puts up with it because of the shitty, Dollar store trinkets that they produce. They start producing other things that can put a dent in the economy, then you can bet that there would be heavy pressure on their government to stop.

          Also, at what point would the people stop being walked all over? Once China has a huge economy, capitalist, communist or otherwise, if the wealth is not spread a bit more than now (which has gotten better than ten years ago), the people just might wise up.
      • Re:Huh (Score:2, Funny)

        by Jack Comics ( 631233 ) *
        "I for one welcome our new Chinese overlords." Too late. The Clinton administration already beat you to it.
  • by gergi ( 220700 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:48PM (#7027357)
    Bill Gates resumed Craig Barrett's weekly allowance.
  • It makes sence.. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:49PM (#7027366)
    I mean.. who would want to lock himself into a market consisting of 1/8 of the world population!?.. ;) .. Gimme a break.. had it been Bulgaria or Sweden okay.. but China.. GL HF Intel!
    • Re:It makes sence.. (Score:3, Informative)

      by BigGar' ( 411008 )
      Acually it's closer to 1/6 of the word population and over three times the US population.
    • Re:It makes sence.. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by MrResistor ( 120588 ) <peterahoff.gmail@com> on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:31PM (#7027800) Homepage
      My thought was:

      "They'll be unable to interoperate with the reat of the world, just like Europeans can't watch American TV shows because they use PAL and not NTSC.

      Oh, wait..."

      It's quite shocking to me that the top guy at Intel is so fundamentally ignorant of the realities of modern computing and communication.

      • Re:It makes sence.. (Score:5, Interesting)

        by AllUsernamesAreGone ( 688381 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @05:02PM (#7028137)
        Do not make the mistake of confusing ignorance with tactics, or that this is aimed at China. This is aimed squarely at western companies who may be interested in working with or investing in China - the same western companies whose bosses will attach significant weight to anything that issues from the mouth of a well-known CEO.

        This isn't an attempt to put china off directly, it's an attempt to put western companies off working with China and lending weight to China's approach (which would surely be disasterous for Intel and Microsoft if it encouraged more countries to implement home-grown hardware and software rather than Wintel supported systems).
    • by mabhatter654 ( 561290 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @05:20PM (#7028279)
      China, along with southeast asia and perhaps India too is more like 1/3-1/2 the population [and future poplulation]! They can pretty much do what they want. As far as competing, don't they MAKE all our stuff over there? I don't see them having any future compatibality problems with US...maybe we will have problems with them [them as the majority]
    • Re:It makes sence.. (Score:4, Interesting)

      by fermion ( 181285 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @05:58PM (#7028575) Homepage Journal
      From the point of view of Intel and MS, it is even more dire. In response to NAFTA, China has set up a free trade zone in South East Asia, AFTA. There is enough interest in this trade zone to encompass about a third of the world population, and a significant portion of the world economy, especially in the manufacturing sector. If this area standardizes on a *nix with home-grown electronics, it may be very hard for Wintel vendors to sell to the region. And since China is the economic power of AFTA, it is assume that the other countries in the FTA would standardize on their computer product, which would likely be much cheaper than anything WinTel.

      In addition, U.S. firms will have to be interoperable with AFTA if we hope to continue trading with them. As such, I would assume that U.S. firms would demand that vendors supply equipment interoperable with AFTA standards. If MS is not able to supply such an OS, then the firms will just have to go elsewhere.

    • Re:It makes sence.. (Score:3, Informative)

      by dalutong ( 260603 )
      Another reply says 1/6th... and that's not even true.

      1/5 is the closest single digit fraction. 1.3 billion Chinese/6.3 billion people in the world. India would hold the 1/6 spot.
  • Intel Scared? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by yo5oy ( 549821 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:49PM (#7027376)
    it is just really funny to see a multinational company watching out for the interests of one the largest potential new markets by stating that they won't be able to compete ten to twenty years from now. FUD.
    • Re:Intel Scared? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:30PM (#7027797)
      Yea, you gotta feel for Wintel. China is a huge market, and I think everyone can agree the likes of the Dragon chip isn't part of Intel's plan. There be real competition there.

      I can't see any real alternative for SE Asia. They surely don't want to be utterly behold'n to Microsoft/Intel. Two companies that seeming lie outside the reasonable care, custody, and control of the US's own Government let alone SE Asia.

      Choosing WinTel isn't a features based purchase decision. It is a LONG term decision akin to choosing your nation's telephone standard. It *IS* a national security question, and its not just about worm 'o the day and "NSA" keys. Why, in all that is, would ANY country choose to pay a such long term economic tax to a foreign corporation that is above its own law? Worse, both Intel and Microsoft have PROVEN themselves uttery untrustworty.

      So SE Asia buys into WinTel, they rend their US style path of death and destruction, and when China moves to stop them.... US Trade sanctions.

      Yea. I'm sure they're lining up.

      Computers/Software are THE core infrastructure of the modern economy. How would you the US would fare if every drop of oil was bought and sold by a single, say Iraqi, company? Secure? I think not, execpt for the fact we can, and will, bomb the S**T out of people to further our agendas.

      Yet that is what WinTel would have for SE Asia. Every data bit locked into Wintel DRM and annual program rental fees. Effectively forever.

      > You have to ask yourself this: is there an advantage to having a proprietary standard in your country?"

      As always, the narrow edge is in the implementation. Linux is NOT a "proprietary standard" by any means. It could be made into one, in a defact sort of way, but Intel has assume a good deal in painting this as pure "protectionism" so soon. Yes, it may turn out that way.

      Or not. Linux could be made better into what it aspires to be. A critical infrastructure on which ALL markets can communicate, troll free. Who better than the Asians to contribute their needs to such a platform?

    • Re:Intel Scared? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by ralphclark ( 11346 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @06:01PM (#7028594) Journal
      Yeah - one possible outcome is that China won't be able to participate in global markets - another more likely possibility is that China will export it's homegrown technologies, at unprecedented price levels, undercutting *both* Intel and Microsoft. No wonder Intel are scared.

      China already have the manufacturing infrastructure to do all this. They just need to develop their own IP. It's a no-brainer for them.
  • by ThoreauHD ( 213527 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:49PM (#7027379)
    the Internet will never work with open standards. That's just crazy talk. Crazy!
    • It's about communism hurting prgress.

      I'm all for voluntary adoption of Free software, but legally mandating it is utter bullshit.
      • by Catbeller ( 118204 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:49PM (#7027995) Homepage
        I'm all for free trade myself, but sometimes a government, for the good of its people, not just the businessmen, has to take a hand to prevent a disaster -- in this case, a US monopoly dictating computing standards to the entire nation of China.

        The government is doing what governments are supposed to do. Serve the interest of all, not just the interested few. By doing this, they will obviously boost their own IT sector, and free it from ruthless exploitation by a runaway US monopoly.

        Remember, Microsoft no longer operates in a free market. It is a monopoly, which means it owns and controls the market, no matter how you wiggle around the term "owns".

        China, it can be argued, is just leveling the field. Too bad for Bill.

        The US has always used government fiat to boost its own businesses. We ignored copyright laws of other countries until the 20th century. The guv built a highway system to crush the railroad companies, build the auto giants, and create massive susburban growth to the detriment of the cities and public education therein.

        It chooses winners and losers by awarding defense contracts. It controls interstate commerce. Regulates imports to benefit American interests. It now chooses who can and cannot run foreign countries. In Iraq, the administration has now served notice that the nation MUST permit foreign interests to control their public and private companies.

        In comparison, China telling MS to take a hike ain't so bad.
  • huh (Score:5, Interesting)

    by BigBir3d ( 454486 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:51PM (#7027387) Journal
    Is Intel pushing MS Windows now?

    Intel > procs and chipsets > DRM > MS Windows
    • Re:huh (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Lord Kholdan ( 670731 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:53PM (#7027427)
      Is Intel pushing MS Windows now?

      Intel > procs and chipsets > DRM > MS Windows


      Propably not. They're just trying to prevent the dragon chip from becoming de facto standard for that marketplace.
      • Re:huh (Score:3, Informative)

        by Stargoat ( 658863 )
        Intel has always pushed MS Windows. Don't you recall their alliance [intel.com]?
        • Re:huh (Score:5, Interesting)

          by Aadain2001 ( 684036 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @05:16PM (#7028240) Journal
          It's not an "alliance" by choice. Intel knows that Windows is on 95% of the desktops. All they have to do is write a few new subroutines to detect Intel chips and to degrade the system performance if they wanted to hurt Intel. Look at their recent adoption of AMD's 64 bit ISA. It's their way of telling Intel "You better do what we say, because we can always decide to help out your competition instead of you". There was a big lawsuit about this a while back where Bill directly threatened Barret if they didn't do what MS wanted. Hence why Barret is saying this. It's also part of the reason why one half of Intel is pushing Linux and another what's to hide the first half. They don't want to piss MS off.
  • by Ikeya ( 7401 ) <dave&kuck,net> on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:51PM (#7027393) Homepage
    It's funny how Intel is saying that China would be creating "Proprietary" standards. Umm... how can they be proprietary if they're open source and built on linux? They won't be so "proprietary" if everyone can see their standards and work on interoperability... I would see this as more beneficial than locking themselves on closed proprietary systems. (albeit they are more widely used)
    • by stratjakt ( 596332 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:24PM (#7027746) Journal
      Who says that they're going to be open source?

      China has no copyright/patent/licensing treaties with the rest of the world.

      They have as much respect for the GPL as they do the Windows EULA.

      You call Bejing and demand that they make they're changes available via CVS. Remember, these are the same guys who ran kids over with tanks in Tiennamin square.
    • by glrotate ( 300695 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:24PM (#7027750) Homepage
      From the FT artice:

      Mr Barrett's comments come two weeks after officials from China, Japan and South Korea agreed to co-operate on the development of software applications based on the free Linux computer operating system

      Barrett's point wasn't about Linux. The FT just threw that angle in to get the suckers riled up, and it worked.

      The FT could have said that Barrett warned against "proprietary" standards based on binary arithmatic. Note it's not the technical details of the implementation he's concerned about, its their proprietary nature.

      Andy Grove delivered a very simmilar speech to European bigwigs about a decade ago and he was right.
  • Translation: (Score:5, Insightful)

    by MBCook ( 132727 ) <foobarsoft@foobarsoft.com> on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:51PM (#7027397) Homepage
    If you guys switch to Linux, it will be easier to move to a non-Intel (x86, Xscale, whatever) platform, so we advise you against it. Stick with something like Windows, where you have to use our processor and can't easily switch to something else (like the processor that China is making).

    Anyone suprised?

    • Re:Translation: (Score:5, Insightful)

      by wfrp01 ( 82831 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:35PM (#7027849) Journal
      You'll also have no compelling reason to buy our DRM enabled chips. If you don't buy these, you might not be able to run the latest version of Windows. If you're not running Windows, why would you spend extra dollars for DRM technology you don't need or want?

      DRM means all kinds of money for lots of people. They are going to fight tooth and nail to make it ubiquitous. Think of the domino effects. You'll need DRM TV to work with your DRM this and your DRM that. DRM chips up the wazoo. There will be different competing DRM standards. Whoever wins, wins big.

      (Unless DRM gets the big boot it deserves.)

      If Intel has no (non-DRM) competition, this might just come to pass. OTOH, a chip company with a concience selling a non-DRM alternative could make significant inroads - or at least help keep Intel honest.
  • What they've feared most: all developing nations that are short on cash but have plenty of talent and labor, creating their own OS's and hardware architectures, leaving Craig and Bill out of the loop with empty pockets.

    Last time it was M$ not getting its share with the OS consortium, now it's hardware. Soon they'll have a complete system...
  • Article: -1 troll (Score:5, Informative)

    by jbellis ( 142590 ) * <jonathan@carnage ... m minus math_god> on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:52PM (#7027406) Homepage
    He's talking about chinese plans to try to grow their own (non x86) chip market through protectionist policies, not about "don't try linux it will never work!!!111"
    The high costs of such a two-pronged approach would make it difficult to compete. "You have to ask yourself this: is there an advantage to having a proprietary standard in your country?" he added. To adopt unique regional technologies would mean "not participating in the rest of the world because you have a proprietary standard, and not being able to inter-operate with the rest of the world. I fail to see the benefit".
    Even if you didn't read the rest of the article, it's clear he's talking about "proprietary standards," which linux clearly is not.

    Furthermore,

    In spite of warning about some methods used to promote homegrown technology champions in Asia, the Intel boss applauded efforts to stimulate a local software industry. He said this would be an important step in the region's fight against software pirates.
    • Re:Article: -1 troll (Score:5, Interesting)

      by leandrod ( 17766 ) <l@dutras . o rg> on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:05PM (#7027579) Homepage Journal

      > He's talking about chinese plans to try to grow their own (non x86) chip market through protectionist policies

      > The high costs of such a two-pronged approach would make it difficult to compete. "You have to ask yourself this: is there an advantage to having a proprietary standard in your country?"

      First, protectionism is everywhere. It is very hipocritical of the US to protect its agriculture and job markets, and then expect everyone else to continue to either import or pay royalties on its chips and software.

      Second, this particular piece of protectionism could actually lead to something. If one takes a potentially more efficient and cheaper RISC system, and uses it to run GNU/Linux, he can makes dirty cheap, open systems accessible to millions. One could even see this as a linchpin for the end of proprietary systems dominance, both software and hardware -- yes, x86 is proprietary. In this case, China and its partners in potential would be protecting not a closed market, but a nascent, open industry from dumping, IP claims and similar anticompetitive tatics from US companies.

      Now, how MIPS is anymore proprietary than x86 I fail to see. Quite to the contrary.

      • If one takes a potentially more efficient and cheaper RISC system, and uses it to run GNU/Linux,

        something just occured to me -
        ofcourse Linux is open standards - but what is stopping the Chinese from changing the source, not rereleasing it, then forcing out binaries to its public? (ie forcing everyone to use RedArmy Linux, or whatever its called...)

        what are the ramifications of this? and if this isnt possible, why not?

    • Clearly? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by roystgnr ( 4015 )
      I agree that the headline of the Financial Times is grossly misleading, but for fewer reasons: simply because none of the quotes from Barrett even mention Linux, so there's no reason to believe he isn't just talking about the asian CPU plans.

      Even if you didn't read the rest of the article, it's clear he's talking about "proprietary standards," which linux clearly is not.

      Here, however, I'm not so sure. Just because something is "clearly" true to you, me, or anyone else capable of handling a dictionary a
    • by babyrat ( 314371 )
      Anything anyone from a company says regarding a competing product/technology needs to be taken with a grain (or two) of salt.

      Of COURSE this is a bad idea - because it means competition and potential loss of revenue for Intel.

      Geez - what if the proprietary standard chip in China is better than Intel's prorietary standard chip in the US?? If you didn't have to worry about backwards compatiblity, and started with a clean slate could that be possible? That would REALLY suck for Intel - especially if all Orac
    • I'd suggest that he's arguing against the use of Linux by adancing arguements that have little to do with it. This is arguement of the form:
      • Premise 1: a chinese processor will fail in the world market
      • Premise 2: linux will run on a chinese processor
      • Conclusion: Linux will fail
      In fact, the correct conclusion is more likely to be of the form Linux on a processor which fails will be a failure.

      --dave

  • In other news (Score:3, Interesting)

    by revividus ( 643168 ) <phil...crissman@@@gmail...com> on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:53PM (#7027430) Homepage
    Major Oil companies encourage manufacturers not to develop cars which do not rely on fossil fuels, as this may prevent people from being able to participate in the global Oil business.


    I know, Linux machines use intel processors, too. But unless I'm mistaken, intel and MS are pretty closely aligned. It doesn't seem like a very unbiased party, hence the analogy.

  • Can you say FUD? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by MikeCapone ( 693319 )
    How about he explains why they wouldn't be able to take part of the global market?
  • Hey Intel: Like English vs. the metric system?
  • Hmmm.... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Duncan3 ( 10537 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:54PM (#7027447) Homepage
    Lets see, at ~$150 saved per PC without Windows, times about 2 Billion PC's... Buys one hell of alot of "lets go participate in world markets".

    And if you skip the "Intel inside" you can double that savings easily.

    Yet again more asian long-term thinking at work.
  • by Otter ( 3800 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:55PM (#7027453) Journal
    As many times as the FT article mentions Linux, it's not clear that Barrett's concern had anything to do with it. Conspiracy theories aside, what would he care? It's the possibility of an Asian standard based around some non-x86 CPU that has him worried.

    Anyway, that's my two cents. You can go back to running around in circles while waving your arms and shrieking about Microsoft now...;-)

  • Oh stop it... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by gpinzone ( 531794 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:55PM (#7027460) Homepage Journal
    This isn't an anti-Linux stance. It's a stance against customizing everything for China. Linux just makes it easier to do. The warning is for China not to close themselves off from the rest of the world by creating a proprietary OS, apps, etc. Wow. China being insular. Who would have thunk it?
  • by Dark Paladin ( 116525 ) * <jhummel.johnhummel@net> on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:55PM (#7027461) Homepage
    Isn't just that there are so many of them.

    The great thing about standards, and having "open" systems, is that everybody is on fair ground. Why does Red Hat and Suse outsell their competition? Is it because they have some "secret extra" that locks in their customers?

    Well, no (at least not for the most part). It's because of the other things they bring to support the standard, such as service, support, upgrades, developing to add to what has been done to make the "standard" easier to use.

    So if China wants to base their software on Linux, more power to them - as long as they obey the GPL. If they make an improvement to make it easier to use Chinese characters on the command line, great - release it to everybody else. If they make a processor that works like Intel and they want to make it public, have a good time.

    So I disagree with Mr. Barrett in principle that using regional standards is a "bad" thing - as long as those standards are published, realized by everybody, and don't have any hidden "gotchas".

    What China will have to remember is the great thing about standards - there are so many of them. They (and by this I mean China's oppressive communist government) might think of some great standards, like "electrocute religious dissodents if they touch a computer". Or "file encryption systems must have a government backdoor at any time".

    Because the rest of the world might not want to use that particular standard in their stuff. And if you have 75% of the world not using your standard, you either have to a) say you don't care (and make Mr. Barrett right), b) modify your standard, or c) join the rest of the world.

    And if it turns out they're just taking the intellectual property of others - including Linux and yes, Intel - and not returning it to the group, they'll find that people will not be as interested in playing in their sandbox.

    So have fun, China, and I hope to see some interesting new standards. I actually wish you luck if you decide you want to make your own processors and software, and if you truly want to make both open for all to use, have a good time.
  • by Kethinov ( 636034 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:55PM (#7027462) Homepage Journal
    that keeps the world from being united under a truly open computing standard. West competes with east. East competes with west. At this rate we're gonna be doomed for the rest of eternity on this big blue rock and we'll never pull together and blast off into space to colonize other worlds so our species survives even after our star goes supernova in several billion years. [/endrant]
  • by smcavoy ( 114157 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:56PM (#7027472)
    If China/Asia decides their own course of technology specific to there needs, would the rest of the world not try to interoperate? I mean there's over a billion people there!

    Would it not be prudent to have technology that works the way they need it to, instead of accepting whatever multinationals decide is good enough for them?

    And anyhow if it's based on open standards, will it not be easier to interoperate with them anyhow??

    I think the statement is more about protecting Intel's interests (i.e. selling chips), then what's "good for asia"
  • Rest of the world??? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by John Zero ( 3370 )
    USA = 200-300 million people (approx)
    Europe = 200-300 million people (approx)

    China = more than 1000 million people

    So, who is the "rest of the world"?
  • by crow ( 16139 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:58PM (#7027491) Homepage Journal
    Intel has been very friendly to Linux in the past, and for good reason. Linux provides a means for Intel to take market share away from the likes of Sun and HP. Why buy a non-Intel server when you can do the job just fine with an Intel-based Linux server? (True for many tasks, debatable for others.)

    On the other hand, Intel has much to fear from Linux. If there were a large enough market that didn't care about Windows, then it would become practical for Linux users to question whey they should run on an expensive Intel chip instead of a cheaper non-x86 CPU from another vendor. The lock-in to the instruction set would be gone. Intel would have to compete head-to-head with MIPS and the likes in the desktop market, not something they want to do.
    • then it would become practical for Linux users to question whey they should run on an expensive Intel chip instead of a cheaper non-x86 CPU from another vendor.

      Just curious, what would be the name of that cheaper non-x86 CPU? As for now I see all non-x86 personal computers and workstations are more expensive than same performance x86 ones. Or did I miss some one?

  • Billy boys' pocket.
    Gate$ must be nervou$ over thi$..

    Too bad Billy boy. Your evil plan for global domination and en$lavement of every living creature on earth has been exposed.

    You will fail. Linux will exterminate your filthy grip on the throats of freedom loving people everywhere.

    DEATH TO M$ !!
  • Missing the Point (Score:5, Interesting)

    by overshoot ( 39700 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:58PM (#7027499)
    Intel is pushing -- hard -- for TCPA/Palladium/NGSCB/whatever. The idea is to make sure that non-TCPA systems are completely left out of the information ecology. With Intel, AMD, Microsoft, and IBM on board the fix is pretty much in.

    Or it would be, if nobody like the Chinese got uppity. Planning to go with non-TCPA software is certainly Not Part of the Plan, and could derail all of Intel's plans.

    That just can't be allowed now, can it?

  • by Stavr0 ( 35032 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:58PM (#7027500) Homepage Journal
    When Asia decided to go ahead and create their own video disc regional standard (VCD, SVCD) the same arguments were thrown: It's not compatible, you'll be locked out of the world market, yadda yadda...

    Today, the majority DVD player now support VCD, SVCD (which have NO DRM whatsoever) and MP3s (bonus). DiVX;-) support is just starting to appear. I betcha by XMAS the 'de facto' player will list DVD,SVCD,VCD,DiVX,WMA,MP3 compatibility (and OGG too hopefully).

    Simple marketing: Q: "How do we get all those people with DVD players to spend money on a new one this Xmas?" A: Release a new line with new ATTRACTIVE features.

  • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @03:58PM (#7027503)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • Then [Asia] can tell intel to conform to their standards or risk losing a giant revenue stream.

      Exactly. This is the only reason Barrett has taken this position. This has nothing to do with Intel's worry about "proprietary" anything or their concern for Asian software markets. Intel is only worried they will have to adapt to the (massive) emerging market in Asia.

  • The only reason Intel would issue such a statement is fear. Why else would a company go out on a limb to help a possible competitor? If they can dissuade them now, then they don't have to worry about them in 10 years.
  • Language (Score:5, Funny)

    by hey ( 83763 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:01PM (#7027533) Journal
    Yes, they really should stop speaking Chinese there too. Don't they know that the rest of the world speaks English.
  • FUD: Intel scared (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Lugor ( 628175 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:01PM (#7027536)
    With a population of 2 billion people. China is a 200lb gorilla, and everyone knows it. If China, with rest of Asia went 'standard' or 'non-standard', whatever they choose- with that much weight to throw around- it will become a STANDARD. Intel and M$ knows this and are warning off.
    In the short-term it may be good for Asia, in the long-term it will be good for Asia, because instead of Asian companies trying to be compatible with US/European standards, it will be the other way around.
    Even with a measily 10% of population using computers in China (if in the future that should happen), it would larger then the WHOLE U.S. population.

    200lb gorilla indeed.
  • by lfourrier ( 209630 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:02PM (#7027553)
    short term : chinese jobs are protected
    middle term : West is implementing trusted,drm compliant, whatever systems. China cannot sell (unlawful material, because open)
    long term : illegality considered illegal barrier to trade by wto. West can use free chinese programs/systems. Intel & Microsoft become irrelevants

    One can always dream...
  • "...such a strategy might protect local companies and markets in the short term, [but] it would make it more difficult for Asian companies to participate in world markets..."

    Um, yeah, I don't think that the purpose of the Dragon chip is to participate in world markets, mmkay?

  • What, is the U.S. going to just stop trade with China because China won't support the latest Microsoft DRM system? Hah! Or even reduce trade over it? Hah! If your business depends on communication and interoperability with systems in the Asian market, either you will adapt or you will be needing to explain to your shareholders just why you have made poor management decisions, leading to vendor lock-in and an inability to interoperate with the rest of the world. Good luck.

    The worst possible outcome for Asia
  • by richard_willey ( 79077 ) <richard_willey AT hotmail DOT com> on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:03PM (#7027563)
    It's interesting to notice the difference in focus between Craig Barrett's statements and the Slashdot's focus.

    Barrett is an executive at Intel. His primary concern is whether the Chinese or the Indians will succeed with localizing microprocessor design. Needless to say, he is predisposed to believe that these efforts should not be undertaken.

    Here on Slashdot, the primary focus is the various attempts taking place in Asia to standardize around Linux. From my own perspective, I don't think that this effort is logically equivalent to the Barrett's hardware example. I don't see the effort at promoting Linux as an attempt to fork the code base, but rather an effort to unify the development community around a single standard. With luck, this effort will result in better contributions to the core Linux code base.
  • by HangingChad ( 677530 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:04PM (#7027575) Homepage
    Is that the Chinese risk not recognizing DRM and other media control technologies. If 1/3 of the planet's population opts out, how are they ever going to be able to stuff digital rights management down the rest of our throats? The nerve of those people throwing a crimp in those carefully crafted plans! I somehow don't think the Chinese are going to lay awake nights worrying about being marginalized.

    And of course Intel welcomes the Chinese production of high-quality, low-cost computer chips.

  • Translation: (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Kjella ( 173770 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:05PM (#7027581) Homepage
    We intend to lock people into proprietary formats, preferably DRM encumbered so we may legally keep others from creating compatible programs or import filters so you can use alternative OSs.

    Microsoft is working very hard to keep there from being a "critical mass" of people using alternatives, so that everyone "muat" buy Windows/Office because that's what everybody else uses. Once people start expecting compatibility with "everyone", where everyone includes Linux, the game is already half lost. Regardless of whether they actually use Linux at that time, Microsoft doesn't want to give that alternative, simply because it hurts those running Linux who can't communicate properly with Windows users far more than the other way around.

    Kjella
  • by American AC in Paris ( 230456 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:06PM (#7027589) Homepage
    The head of the world's largest semiconductor company said efforts to use local standards to protect and nurture local technology companies had been tried before and produced only short-term results.

    Heh.

    Heh-heh.

    So, Mr. Barrett, was the last time this sort of thing has been tried in a locale of 1.2 billion people?

    Basically, Intel is scared. If this takes off, Intel will suffer dearly in a market that currently generates 3.2 billion dollars of revenue for them [intel.com]. Roughly 12% of their total revenue comes from China alone.

    You'll forgive me, Mr. Barrett, if I have trouble keeping a straight face.

    • by American AC in Paris ( 230456 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:19PM (#7027698) Homepage
      Ech, replying to my own post...

      If you dig a bit deeper into Intel's financials, you'll find that China represents a huge chunk of Intel's growth since 2000--while their total revenue has dropped from 33.7 billion to 26.7 billion, revenue from China has increased from 2.15 billion to 3.2 billion.

      In 2000, China was about 6.3% of Intel's total revenue. Today, it's nearly double that. If China's plans succeed, Intel loses both a sizeable chunk of their revenue and one of their biggest growth markets.

      Sorry, did I say 'one of their biggest growth markets'? I meant 'biggest'.

  • by headbulb ( 534102 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:06PM (#7027591)
    Does intel think that they are going to tell china, "you are going to fail".

    If china wants to develop for a different platform. Its their choice. If they also want to develop on a different processor then what intel offers then that is their choice. Personally I like it. If china/asain succeed's not only will they have a nice platform (hopefully) They will have a cpu that isn't pulled down by all hacks to make it modern.. I Say 'Hey china go ahead'.

    Why should china put money into other country's when it can put it into their own.

    Really I think intel just wants money. But their solution is just a hack for backword compatibilty.
    Theres really a point where backword compatbility stifles things.
    (the itanium is nice tho, since its not x86 based.)

    I will shutup before I get too offtopic.
  • You know... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by DdJ ( 10790 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:07PM (#7027600) Homepage Journal
    ...when a big American corporation feels that they can go ahead and issue warnings to the freakin' government of China, that might just inadvertently send the signal that the government is doing the right thing in attempting to prevent becoming beholden to "standards" that are largely controlled by big American corporations...
  • by MarkWatson ( 189759 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:07PM (#7027602) Homepage
    My $199 Chineese PC has components, including the CPU that are also manufactured in China.

    Except for writing my new book (my publisher supplied me with Word macros that I must use), I find this $199 PC with SuSE Linux to provide a super productive environment! When I get time to get back to work on my own products next December, my cheap Chineese PC meets all my needs (in my case, this is running Java JDK, ant, IntelliJ, Tomcat, Joram JMS, JBoss, etc.) I have to love low overhead and a $199 computer is a sweet price point that an Intel based machine would have a difficult time meeting.

    Off course I expect noise like this from Intel!

    Intel likes globalization when it favors them :-)

    -Mark

  • by ps_inkling ( 525251 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:09PM (#7027624)
    Apparently the Intel CEO didn't read the article -- they're not creating new silicon, they're choosing to use Linux for their operating system.

    But, even if China does create new silicon and computing hardware, the input data and output information can still conform to international standards (ASCII, HTML, etc.) Just because the information was created without profitting Intel or AMD hardware sales does not make the information bad.

    I understand he wants to protect potential profits from selling $billions of Intel hardware to China, but this FUD about incompatible standards doesn't cut it. Even if China were to make their own silicon, I'm sure a few patches to gcc would make their C++ code compile just fine for their new hardware. If China finds a way to make it (faster, cheaper, better; choose two) than what is available from current vendors, then they should make it.

    One of the reasons that Open-Hardware is not generally available is the large cost of generating the silicon, and the logistics of distributing the hardware worldwide at a reasonable price. But if China is funding the fab factories, a key barrier is removed; and that should scare the beancounters at CPU manufacturers.

  • by grendel's mom ( 550034 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:15PM (#7027668)
    "...efforts to use local standards to protect and nurture local technology companies had been tried before and produced only short-term results." and "...is there an advantage to having a proprietary standard in your country?"

    It worked nicely for Intel and Microsoft. This is exactly why these companies dominate their markets. They have forced standards. They are doing the same thing now by forcing DRM on consumers (and YES, DRM will be forced..just watch).

    So instead, Barrett expects Asia to allow Intel and Microsoft to create standards for them? Zzzzzt.

    It is absolutely clear why Barrett is taking this position: "By 2010, Intel said, China would be the single largest market for its PC and communications chips." If Asia goes off, builds their own OS to their own standards, Intel and Microsoft will be threatened.

    Build away Asia! This will force change and flexibility on the industry. Stagnation only benefits those that are intrenched.

  • First: Intel warning a potential customer that not buying their product might screw them on standards is really self-serving.

    Next: Like there are no other CPU architectures?

    Hey, maybe the Chinese would like to buy licences for the right to build Macs and use OS X, as long as they promise to keep them over there...
  • by codepunk ( 167897 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:18PM (#7027691)
    He mentions nothing of Linux and as a matter of fact said that stimulation of local software development would be the right direction (translation go with your linux plans but leave the hardware to us). Now of course he is going to say this. I think in the short term they need to be trying to keep a finger on AMD which is about to make their lives miserable with the release of their 64 bit chip.
  • strategy (Score:2, Insightful)

    by synonymous ( 707504 )
    ..including standards using Linux-based software, WE may be doomed to failure, since 'such a strategy might protect local companies and markets in the LONG term, it would make it more difficult for AMERICAN companies to participate in ASIAN markets.
  • Basically China is well on the way to becoming a larger economy than either the US or EU. Other regional powers like India and Indonesia have a strong incentive to go along with a China/Japan/South Korea backed standard---quite simply it will be cheaper. There are also quite a few places in the world that would rather no rely on US based technology(i.e. The Islamic world and some of Latin America/Africa fit that category)

    Now, I suspect that at first, this new Asian/Linux standard won't be markedly higher p
  • Intel Warning (Score:4, Insightful)

    by hackus ( 159037 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:33PM (#7027819) Homepage
    Oh Gee...

    You better not let prevent us from taking over your markets of 3 Billion people, or we won't allow you access to our 400 Million....

    Errr...yeah riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggghhht.

    Fact is, like it or not, China could build its own products, and all of its own technology, and completely shut the West out and make one hell of a killing.

    They do not need us.

    If you ask any Chinese technology business over there, they do not like the fact American companies think they can't do anything worth while in computing, space, science...etc unless western companies invade their markets.

    I think during the next 10 years we are going to have one hell of a surprise in store for ourselves as China tells us where to stick our computers and our software.

    -gc

  • If the Chinese can build a better chip than Intel can, I'll buy it from them. Or did you think that only corporations could benefit from use of overseas resources? It was automobiles in the 70's -- I remember the big 3 whining that they were going to go out of business because people were buying the (better) japanese imports. Is it the chipmakers who are going to repeat history in the 00lies?

    As to who can make the better chip, well China has a workforce of a billion people to draw on. The USA has a workfo

  • Eh? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by 4of12 ( 97621 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:34PM (#7027833) Homepage Journal

    such a strategy might protect local companies and markets in the short term, [but] it would make it more difficult for Asian companies to participate in world markets.

    Given the size of China, Japan and Korean markets combined, I'd say that statement could be turned on its head.

    The World markets might find solutions based on the Asian standards to be perfectly adaptable to simpler Western alphabets and to be less expensive, too.

  • I see... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by vandan ( 151516 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:37PM (#7027867) Homepage
    So firstly, Prescott is 64-bit [theinquirer.net] and Intel needs a 64-bit version of Windows to run on it 'cause hell will freeze over before they use AMD's 64-bit instruction set.

    And then Intel start lecturing Asian countries about being obediant little consumers, and buying Windows, and not cutting off their nose to spite their face by investing in Linux.

    What was the first bit again? Oh that's right ... Intel needs Microsoft big-time or their Prescott will fail. Hmmmmmm.
  • by Colonel Panic ( 15235 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:40PM (#7027897)
    'such a strategy might protect local companies and markets in the short term, [but] it would make it more difficult for Asian companies to participate in world markets.'

    OK, China has over a billion people. Add in other parts of Asia that would like to participate and you've got a market that is something like 4 to 5 times as big as the US market. And then consider
    that most of the European governments will probably be adopting Linux over the next five years... And then we'll see Barrett's quote being made by someone else in either Europe or Asia that goes something like:

    'The strategey of sticking with Windows might protect local companies in the US (like Micro$oft) in the short term, but it would make it more difficult for American companies to participate in world markets.'

    Actually, Barrett doesn't care much at all about Windows (he only cares as much as it promotes Intel CPUs) - he's most worried about China's own CPU (Red Dragon, or whatever it's called) improving to the point where it can be produced competitively with Intel's own CPUs. When that happens, Intel probably won't be selling too many units in China.

  • by RichiP ( 18379 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @04:44PM (#7027949) Homepage
    In the plans of China, Japan and Korea to develop their own system based on Linux, did they at any time mention establishing proprietart, local interoperability standards? As far as I can tell, they would develop their own OS and support software and adhere to global standards such as TCP/IP and other open standards (such as XML, etc.)

    Does Intel know something about these local developments that we're not aware of?

    Another good question is who decides on what becomes a global standard. It most certainly isn't Intel. This just boosts the need to have an international organization that is open to ALL countries without prejudice. So that countries like the aforementioned can participate in open standards development, yet not remain reliant on foreign software developers.
  • by Eric Damron ( 553630 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @05:22PM (#7028289)
    "There has also been discussion, especially in China, of developing standardised microprocessors and other types of chips."

    There is Intel's only real concern. I hardly think that Intel gives a rip about which OS China chooses to run as long as China uses CPUs made by Intel.
  • by Jammet ( 709764 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @06:28PM (#7028810)
    Many solutions compete over how perfectly they blend into foreign environments, save and load most common commercial file formats.

    The masses that use Linux aren't locked out of MS file formats anymore since years, and Microsoft file format users aren't tied to their lock-in files as much anymore either.

    The open sourced alternative ways of loading and saving foreign format files bypass problems of the past with elegancy that is unmatched in the commercial world (where is dead project won't rise from the ashes without money involved).

    The "scratch your own itch" way works out neatly. Whoever feels the desire to do so canl pick whatever _they_ think is best for them. Craig's warning is unnecessary and feels a little out of place.
  • by mormop ( 415983 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @06:34PM (#7028864)
    "Although such a strategy might protect local companies and markets in the short term, it would make it more difficult for Asian companies to participate in world markets, he said"

    We're helping to bring in Palladium and we won't tell you how it works unless you play the game our way.

    That means if you want to compete with the rest of the world you have to do your local standard here, and then work on an all-new set of development" to meet standards used in other markets

    How dare you set up local standards that aren't OUR local standards particularly if your local standards happen to be open and available to all because they're based on Open Source.

    You have to ask yourself this: is there an advantage to having a proprietary standard in your country

    Unlike our free, open and totally honest and democratic standard as presented by Microsoft

    rival standards co-exist, although he predicted that a single technology would eventually win out

    If Microsoft can have a monopoly I see no reason why we at Intel can't have one of our own.

    Mr Barrett's comments come after a visit to several Asian countries and the opening of an Intel research and development centre in Taiwan. By 2010, Intel said, China would be the single largest market for its PC and communications chips.

    There's a billion of you and 250,000 of us and unless we can screw your embryonic chip and Linux based software market we expect to be saying "but I can't send you a .doc file 'cos I only have MS Office" by 2010.

  • by fluor2 ( 242824 ) on Monday September 22, 2003 @07:01PM (#7029088)

    " One OS ought to be enough for anybody "
    - Craig Barrett, Intel, 2003

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