• What action do you think FET should take?
There are a variety of responses to this question. Some students will suggest that FET ignore the flaw,
because it doesn’t seem to occur very often. Remind these students that the new micro system will be
References:
It is well documented in the business press that Intel Corporation was embroiled in controversy over a flaw
in the Pentium computer chip it introduced in 1994. The cost of replacing the flawed chips that were installed
in computers resulted in a fourth-quarter profit in 1994 that was 37 percent lower than the previous year. In
addition, a number of lawsuits were filed accusing Intel of fraud, false advertising, and various violations of
state laws protecting consumers.
On the other hand, in part because of the controversy created by the Intel situation, in 1995, Advanced
Micro Devices, Inc. delayed the distribution of its new computer chip, which was intended to compete
directly with Intel’s Pentium chip, because it was felt technical corrections and additional testing were
needed.
You can find additional information concerning these two situations in articles that appear in The
Wall Street Journal at the end of 1994 and throughout 1995. The following articles might be assigned for
background material:
“Chip Shot: Computer Giants’ War Over Flaw in Pentium Jolts the PC Industry,” The Wall Street Journal,
December 3, 1994, p. A1+.
“AMD Will Delay Delivery of New Chips Aimed at Competing With Intel Pentium,” The Wall Street Journal,
April 11, 1995, p. B5.
Annick Jesdanun, “Experts Spot Security Flaw in Windows Vista Software,” The Tampa Tribune, December
27, 2006, Business 1+.