IBM's fabbing of the Alpha processor has been delayed because of a possibility Compaq might offload the whole lot onto its partner Samsung, sources said at the weekend. According to the one source, if Samsung bites, Compaq would continue to source Alphas from the Korean company. That would also allow Compaq to be "architecture neutral", meaning it would get out of the hole it has dug itself into with Intel. If true, Samsung certainly would not want Big Blue queering its Alpha pitch. ®