Some more on the Via talk:

Intel: Will FTC Deal Trigger Acquisition Of Taiwan-Based Via?

One of the basic facts of the PC microprocessor market is that there simply isn’t much real competition; there’s Intel (INTC), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and not much else. Often overlook in the discussion is a small Taiwan-based chip company with a license to make x86 chips called Via Technologies. But Via could turn out to be a more important player in the wake of Intel’s settlement with the Federal Trade Commission this week of antitrust charges.

Bernstein Research analyst Stacey Rasgon notes in a research report that the FTC in its analysis of the proposed consent order in the case has “explicitly called out that they are leaving the door open for a new competitor to enter the x86 space, if one were to genuinely desire to do , through an acquisition of Via.” The FTC states that the modification of the change-of-control provisions of Intel’s license with Via, as required by the proposed agreement, “opens the door to a potential joint venture or acquisition of Via and its x86 license by a strong and well-financed entrant to the x86 market.”

Via would be a way to jump stat any potential new Intel rival; the company has a market cap of just $850 million. Of course, as Rasgon points out, to truly be competitive with Intel “would require significant innovation and investment beyond simply possessing a license.”
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderd...d=yahoobarrons