14 DAY TRIAL // Dell is reported to have stopped distributing its AMD-based systems via its online shop. This may seem the end of a long and beautiful friendship with world's second chip manufacturer. The company announced back in May 2006 that it would sell AMD-based servers to the public, but Dell quickly adopted the AMD chips for its desktop and notebook systems.
Things went just fine between the two partners, or at least until now, because Dell is starting to shake its website off the AMD-powered systems that it has previously sold. The few three laptops that are still available for online purchase are the Latitude D351, Vostro 1000, and Optiplex 740, but Dell has posted a small note for each of them:
"Shop for Dell computers with AMD processors in retail stores. See our retail partners for details. Computers with AMD processors are not available online."
AMD's situation is already extremely complicated, given the fact that top-tier OEMs are pretty upset because the Barcelonas were not to be found for quite a while. Moreover, Dell turning its back on AMD won't be easy, as AMD tried to go under the PC manufacturer's skin for some time now. Dell's customers who would like to get an AMD-powered machine will have to set foot into a brick-and-mortar distribution point, such as Best Buy, Staples, Wal-Mart or Sam's Club.
AMD is being kicked out of the party at an extremely inappropriate time - not that there would be any appropriate time for being thrown aboard ever: the 2007 revenue reports already kicked in and they don't look too nice. The chip manufacturer reported yearly revenue of $6.012 billion and a net loss of $3.379 billion, while its graphics subsidiary ATI suddenly lost 30 percent of its initial value.
On the other side, Dell is currently busy updating its XPS notebook line to the latest dual-core offerings in the 45-nanometer Penryn family. But it's just business, so may the best win.