AMD Loses Some Linux Kernel Developers

[paulf]

Just read the press release. Its a brilliant strategic move into low margin market segments - now with fewer engineers they will create more products. No doubt the imbeciles trying to manage the company will rely ever more on marketting + hot air and even less on good execution of long term strategy. I guess any roadmaps are in tatters again.

[tecknurd]

Folks, please use the proper term, out of respect for the affected people. You get "fired" when you are terminated for performance or similar reasons. You are "laid off" when your position becomes redundant, or the company has no funds to pay your salary.

To me "fired" is the same as "laid off." The only difference is the person that got laid off has no reason why. A person that got fired has a reason why. During the interview both will have to explain why they got laid off or fired. It is easy for the person that got fired why they got fired. The person that got laid off will have to come up a reason why they got laid off that does make them look bad. The person that got laid off that provides no reason is worst than a person that got fired.

LaidOff=Fired

Cutting Linux support is crazy for a CPU company, if you ask me. Mobile computing, in particular, is being heavily dominated by Linux (android). Oh well. I guess I have no option rather buying Intel next time, and as much as some of you already said, I hate fueling a monopoly (even though I love Intel's Linux support).

I hope "even though I love Intel's Linux support" is sarcasm because Intel's support for Linux is so, so. Their WiFi and graphics works some what, but it could be better. There are some bugs in graphics such as when I enable TearFree it crashes X Window System while xscreensaver sends a standby command to my monitor. Also Intel graphics does a minor graphics garbled when 3D apps are used. Reliability of Intel's drivers are below average from a reputable company.

[bug77]

Seems that AMD is joining forces with RedHat to bring ARM to servers.

At least that's what they're saying right now in a press conference.

Some random quotes:






I don't know how to interpret this, though.

What about: we're in so over our heads, we think the shotgun approach makes most sense.

[kwagga]

Hi All,

We will only be able to see the full extent and impact of the restructing being headed by Rory Read, the new CEO in 24-36 months.

AMD has to rectify it's financial position first and that means unfortunate job and workforce cuts. I hate seeing people made redundant, but lets hope Mr Read is doing the right thing and has a well planned strategy to bring AMD back and kicking.

If not, ARM based designs will have to upt their ante to start competing in the mainstream Desktop arena.

You could thoeratically Squeeze 16-32 ARM Based Cores into a reasonlabe modern dat CPU sized package and distribute the workload for a highly threaded optimized system.
Now single thread performance will be with Intel, but if software is better developed and written you could actually get a competitive system if you built it like that.

Samsung to step up anyone?

Share your thoughts!

Kind Regards,
AG

[smitty3268]

What about: we're in so over our heads, we think the shotgun approach makes most sense.

Our manufacturing facilities can't compete against Intel, so we're going to expand into new markets where Intel doesn't dominate yet, in the hopes that we can compete a lot better against these smaller companies that don't have any more money than we do.

I think it's probably the right move for them, given the realities of the situation, but it does speak of their desperation. This decision isn't coming from a position of strength.

[cube]

In case someone missed:

http://semiaccurate.com/2012/10/15/a...emiconductors/

(borrowed from thread: http://phoronix.com/forums/showthrea...onductors-quot )

[dfx.]

AMD could be going around all kinds of markets, if they wouldn't be stubborn and would concentrate on high-performance x86 desktop CPUs without half-assed built-in GPUs on them and bring their graphics into ARM world. but no, they got to play Intel game and pushing power-hungry, simplified hybrid x86 stuff everythere, fail and then complain, while compensating with engineers, the very people, who can do useful shit.

[bug77]

Our manufacturing facilities can't compete against Intel, so we're going to expand into new markets where Intel doesn't dominate yet, in the hopes that we can compete a lot better against these smaller companies that don't have any more money than we do.

I think it's probably the right move for them, given the realities of the situation, but it does speak of their desperation. This decision isn't coming from a position of strength.

Except they don't have any manufacturing facilities. But it doesn't seem they have a direction either.

[curaga]

Well they have to make cuts somewhere and right now, like it or not, with AMD being dominated in the server arena, linux does not make them a lot of money.

It should still make them more than Windows Server.

[JanC]

Folks, please use the proper term, out of respect for the affected people. You get "fired" when you are terminated for performance or similar reasons. You are "laid off" when your position becomes redundant, or the company has no funds to pay your salary.

Cutting Linux support is crazy for a CPU company, if you ask me. Mobile computing, in particular, is being heavily dominated by Linux (android). Oh well. I guess I have no option rather buying Intel next time, and as much as some of you already said, I hate fueling a monopoly (even though I love Intel's Linux support).

We don't know what is happening without input from those 3 developers or others inside AMD.

It's very well possible that AMD is consolidating multiple teams into one, and the tasks of (parts of) OSRC Dresden might be moving elsewhere, to some other country. Some people might agree to move there to keep their job, but others will probably prefer to stay where they are (e.g. because they have a family, kids have their school & friends in Germany, etc.). And I'm sure there are many other reasonable explanations possible.

Again: we don't know what is happening without input from those 3 developers or others inside AMD, and without any more news, everything in this thread is speculation...