Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core processors price cuts
Intel announced prices for some of its latest, most powerful chips that might disappoint digital gaming enthusiasts because they’re more expensive than reports had speculated. The latest Intel processors for gamers, the Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core processors for desktop PCs that run at 3.2GHz will cost US$1,499 each in lots of 1000 processors, with a slightly different version for $1,399. Another version of the chip that runs at 3.0GHz will cost $999 in the same amounts, according to Intel’s latest price list. Gamer blogs and some news reports had speculated the new 3.2GHz Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core might come out priced at around $999, far less than Intel actually announced.
Each of the new chips comes with four calculating engines on board for more realistic 3D images and ultra-fast gaming speeds, according to Intel. Several gaming PCs have already been designed around the chip family, including Velocity Micro’s Raptor Signature Edition for around $5,995, which will ship next month and Gateway’s FX541XG for around $2,707.99, which starts shipping this week. The Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core chips had been code-named Bloomfield. A price war with rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) over the past few years has helped push microprocessor prices generally lower. Microprocessors made for laptop PCs have held up better in price because the laptop PC market has been growing at a breakneck pace.
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Online Services Sluggish In Microsoft Q4
Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) raked in a record $60.4 billion in revenue in its fiscal year ended June 30, but its fourth quarter earnings came in just short of what Wall Street analysts were expecting, due in part to weakness in its online services business.Microsoft’s fiscal fourth quarter profit rose 42 percent to $4.3 billion and 46 cents a share, while Wall Street analysts had expected earnings of 47 cents per share. During the same quarter last year, Microsoft reported earnings of $3.0 billion and 31 cents per share.
During the quarter, Microsoft saw strong revenue growth in Windows Server and SQL Server, and also reported solid results in licensing for Office 2007 and Windows Vista, which passed the 180 million mark during the quarter.
However, Microsoft’s Online Services Business continued to underperform, reporting a $488 million loss in operating income, compared to $210 million during the same quarter last year. For the year, the Online Services Division racked up an operating income loss of $1.2 billion, compared to $617 million the previous year.
For its 2009 fiscal first quarter, which ends September 30, Microsoft expects revenue of $14.7 billion to $14.9 billion and earnings of between 47 and 48 cents a share. Wall Street analysts expected revenue of $15.1 billion and earnings of 49 cents per share.
For its full fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2009, Microsoft forecast revenue of $67.3 billion to $68.1 billion and earnings of $2.12 to $2.18 per share. Analysts expected revenue of between $66.9 and $68 billion and earnings of between $2.13 and 2.19 per share.
Microsoft shares were down $1.64 at $25.88 in after-hours trading Thursday.
Intel’s profit rises by 25%, notebooks help
Intel has been benefiting from brisk sales of notebook PCs, which are on track to outpace sales of desktop PCs this year. On Monday, Intel rolled out the latest generation of its Centrino wireless chip after a delay of several months. Shares of Intel ticked higher following the results, after gaining 1.2 percent in regular Nasdaq trading. “I like the revenue outlook and the gross margin outlook,” said Doug Freedman, an analyst with American Technology Research. “The only slight negative is the spending level on marketing and general administration is slightly higher.”
