AMD is negotiating to sell 100,000 Spitfire chips to Dell, the last Intel-only assembler in town, Forbes says. These are to be used for cheapo desktops, according to an unnamed source, cited by the magazine. Certainly there are too many of the blighters to explain away as engineering samples. And who knows, the deal could even come off. But AMD isn't counting its chickens just yet – it wants confirmation in writing before it notches up a sale, Forbes reveals. The requirement for written confirmation is a crucial caveat. The Register has lost count of the number of stories we have read - and a few that we've written - that AMD is to flog some chips to Dell. The last time we chased down an Dell-does-AMD lead, doing the system builder rounds a few months back, we were told, off the record, that no deal was in the offing. However, AMD execs keep making regular trips over to Dell's European headquarters in Dublin and, we assume, to company HQ in Austin, Texas. This is not just for exchanging pleasantries. At very least, AMD is useful to Dell AMD is useful to Dell as bargaining counter in its negotiations with Intel. That's why Michael Dell's outburst in London last month over the "fragile" Athlon platform was so surprising. What had he or his company to gain by dissing AMD in public? ® Related Story AMD's Spitfire plans revealed Link Forbes: AMD May Soon Sell Chips To Dell