The Intel Developer Forum: The Craft Of The Clever Comeback

I always make a point of attending the press Q&A that follows Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini’s keynote at each IDF, if for no other reason than its entertainment value. A year ago, for example, Otellini shot back at an analyst that was bombastically critiquing Intel’s dual-die approach to quad core versus the then-not-yet-available AMD single-die approach, with the following zinger:

It is multichip, but who cares? It’s in a lower power envelope. You are misreading the market if you think people care about what’s in the package.

Was Otellini’s comment over-simplistic? Well, sure. But there wasn’t time, nor did Otellini (understandably, given his top-tier position in the company) have the expertise to deliver a detailed retort. And, as I most recently pointed out a bit over a week ago, the market has largely validated Otellini’s stance.

Yesterday, Otellini was once again in prime post-keynote form. When an Inquirer rep in the audience asked him what he thought of AMD’s three-core announcement the day before, he smirked and let loose with both barrels:

We see a distinctive advantage in having all the cores on one die work.

Touché, AMD.