AMD acts to save mobo makers' faces

Taiwanese major manufacturers who faced ending up with a million useless Via mobos using the KX-133 chipset have been saved by AMD largesse, it emerged today.

Last week, we reported from the Computex show in Taiwan that up to a million motherboards using the KX, rather than the KT-133 Via chipset were lying a mouldering in Taiwanese warehouses, after AMD introduced its Socket A platform.

But today, a senior AMD representative from Europe said that his firm would guarantee it will continue to manufacture Slot A chips so that its mobo customers don't end up with useless and unsaleable gear.

Richard Baker, marketing director of AMD Northern Europe said his firm was committed to ensuring that motherboard customers would receive adequate stocks of Slot A microprocessors. AMD would ensure mobo manufacturers were not left in the lurch, he confirmed.

Baker also added that AMD would not be endorsing a so-called "slotket" answer to the problem of transition, although he was sure such solutions would be designed. Earlier this year, Intel took the unusual step of advising the adoption of various circuit boards to bridge the transition from its own Slot One solution to flip chip socketed Pentium Coppermines.

But it leaves open the question of how people who buy the boxes containing K7s know whether they are Slot A devices (Thunderbird) or Socket A (old Athlon) devices inside. Unless they open the box, of course. And does it matter?

It also poses questions about supplies of K7 chips, of whichever flavour. Will AMD hold up production of Socket A Athlons while they satisfy Taiwanese mobo makers?

• Meanwhile, and for the sake of readers who have already asked us, we are still collecting details of the remarking of AMD Athlons which is undoubtedly happening in Taiwan. We hope to update you on this over the weekend. And in other news, AMD Zone is reporting that AMD will build a 12-inch superfab.