Same Intel prices for OEM and channel

[Steve]

There will be no more benefits for massive OEMs with the power to buy shedloads of Intel CPUs. The idea is both OEMs and the channel get the same prices, at the same time improving Intel's average selling prices and margins.

On the sidelines of the May 23-24 Spring Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in Shenzhen, China, Intel told Taiwan vendors that it will begin offering OEM and channel players the same prices and that it will no longer offer rebates to OEMs that place large-quantity orders. In addition, the company showed a new price list with significant reductions coming into effect on July 23.

[Digi Times]

[nichomach]

Almost everyone that was questioned about the price cuts said that the move was an obvious broadside aimed squarely at preventing AMD's AM2 platform from building steam.

I'd have thought the boot was rather on the other foot; Dell announces that they're going to start shipping Opterons and then a few days later Intel says "no more sweetheart deals for massive OEMs". Think Dell had some advance warning?

[badermans]

wouldnt this mean a prices increse for oem intel built systems?

[kalniel]

wouldnt this mean a prices increse for oem intel built systems?

Yes, giving AMD (who I think say they don't give big OEM discounts) just the push they need

But I think Intel won't mind - if they're going to conceed market share then it's more or less inevitable so they might as well raise their profit margins and make just as much money

[krazy_olie]

I think this will be further justification for people to build their own systems. Bad for the big guns.

[DR]

Nothing to do with the lawsuit of course.

[CAL3H]

Bah maybe they have just got a bit of an ego boost thanks to the recent benchmarks of their new chips - "heck, we're in the lead at last, let's raise our prices to our loyal OEM manufacturers and consumers."

Let's hope AMD can claw even more market.

[Zak33]

its all horses for courses.

Intel used to sell them all to Dell, and Dell flogged loads of them off anyway.

Might be better for the consumer long term though.....more competition, less of a one horse race.

[Mike Fishcake]

I don't care which company wins - I just want the best performance per pound processor.

I'm not loyal to any international corporation TBH.

As AMD and Intel fight it out, the consumer wins

[Funkstar]

I don't care which company wins - I just want the best performance per pound processor.

If a company 'wins' a rivalry like this then it is very bad for everyone, including the 'winner' as they would then be investigated by the DOJ for anti-competative practises, along with the EU for monopolising the industry

[8bit]

As AMD and Intel fight it out, the consumer wins

Personally I think that remains to be seen. If Intel win the AMD case then I'd have thought that would hurt AMD financially pretty bad. On the face of AMD's case it does look like they've got a point worth fighting but that doesn't mean they're squeaky clean themselves. I'd bet Intel have a whole team of lawyers scrabbling round looking for evidence to counter-sue right now. It's well known that tech companies are fond of litigation and too much of that always hurts the consumer in the end.

Nothing to do with the lawsuit of course.

No, of course not That would be too Microsoft-esque...