[citation][nom]A Stoner[/nom]Looking out for the consumer? What they are complaining about is that Intel is making a profit selling processors below the break even point of it's competitor, AMD. How exactly is that looking out for the consumer. The EU in this instance is telling Intel to raise it's prices to shield AMD from real compitition. If AMD were a functioning company, it would not need protectionist' to come to it's rescue. While it is good to have compitition in the marketplace, and thus not allowing Intel to become a monopoly simply because the only other company making X86 chips goes out of business, it does not make it right for them to prop up the price of computer chips which increases the price for the consumer. Even with Intel's HUGE lead in processor capability, they have not slowed down their research and developement, nor have they cut back on the tick-tock release cycle, which tells me that Intel is a play-by-the-rules-and-give-the-customer-the-best-value-they-can company, while also increasing it's value to it's share holders. This is in no way a statement that AMD is not a play-by-the-rules... The EU seems to be the group interested in increasing prices to customers...[/citation]\
Astoner, what happens when Intel wins and AMD goes under. You think those low low prices are going to stick around?
Look at Walmart. Sure, they move in with low prices to undercut their competitors, and in big cities, they may drive out mom-and-pops but other big chains stick with them. However, in small areas where there is no competition, Walmart doesn't keep those low prices.
The ONLY reason to drive out competition is to become the only provider. Once you are the only provider, you set the rules. This is why we have anti-trust legislation here in the U.S. as well as abroad. Look at the old railroad companies, look at the oil companies. Why is gas always the same price regardless of which gas station you buy it from? That's because the oil is controller by OPEC, a cartel. They control the worlds oil supply, and they set prices. Why are diamonds so expensive? Because DeBeers, another cartel, controls the worlds diamond supplies. You want Intel deciding how much you spend on a computer, I think not.
If you actual think Intel reduced their prices to benefit the consumer, you have no idea how global economics works. Read a damn book sometime.