An Intel Inside sticker is shown next to a Windows XP sticker on an Acer Netbook in Encinitas, California April 13, 2009. Top global chip maker Intel should report hefty slides in quarterly earnings and sales after a brutal drop-off in demand, but signs of a market stabilization may assuage some of 2009's pain. Investors in the Santa Clara, California-based giant, which reports first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, hope the recent rollout of Xeon server chips and strong sales of the Atom netbook microprocessor will prop up sales in coming quarters. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES BUSINESS SCI TECH)

An Intel Inside sticker is shown next to a Windows XP sticker on an Acer Netbook in Encinitas, California April 13, 2009. Top global chip maker Intel should report hefty slides in quarterly earnings and sales after a brutal drop-off in demand, but signs of a market stabilization may assuage some of 2009's pain. Investors in the Santa Clara, California-based giant, which reports first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, hope the recent rollout of Xeon server chips and strong sales of the Atom netbook microprocessor will prop up sales in coming quarters. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES BUSINESS SCI TECH)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks in a microscope as she visits computer microprocessors maker AMD chip plant during a national education summit in Dresden October 22, 2008. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) looks in a microscope next to a technician of computer microprocessors maker AMD in their chip plant during an national education summit in Dresden October 22, 2008. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY)

A technician of computer microprocessors maker AMD poses for the media with a wafer at the chip plant in Dresden October 24, 2006. AMD celebrated its 10th anniversary of the AMD plant in the eastern German city of Dresden on Tuesday. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) receives a laptop from Hector Ruiz, CEO of computer microprocessor maker AMD during a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the AMD chip plant in the eastern German city of Dresden, October 24, 2006. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) poses for the media with technicians of computer microprocessor maker AMD at their chip plant in Dresden October 24, 2006. Merkel on Tuesday attended a ceremony for the 10th anniversary of the AMD plant in the eastern German city of Dresden. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) looks at a wafer as she poses for the media with a technician of computer microprocessors maker AMD in their chip plant in Dresden October 24, 2006. Merkel on Tuesday attended a ceremony for the 10th anniversary of the AMD plant in the eastern German city of Dresden. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY)

A South Korean uses a laptop using Intel's microprocessors at a showroom in Seoul Feburary 10, 2006. South Korea's antitrust watchdog said on Friday it had not yet reached a conclusion on whether Intel Corp. violated regulations in marketing its computer chips after raiding the U.S. firm's Seoul office earlier this week. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Laptops using Intel's microprocessors are displayed at a showroom in Seoul Feburary 10, 2006. South Korea's antitrust watchdog said on Friday it had not yet reached a conclusion on whether Intel Corp violated regulations in marketing its computer chips after raiding the U.S. firm's Seoul office earlier this week. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

A South Korean man walks past an advertisement board of a personal computer maker using Intel's microprocessors at a showroom in Seoul Feburary 10, 2006. South Korea's antitrust watchdog said on Friday it had not yet reached a conclusion on whether Intel Corp. violated regulations in marketing its computer chips after raiding the U.S. firm's Seoul office earlier this week. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

A South Korean stands next to an advertisement board of a personal computer maker using Intel's microprocessors at a showroom in Seoul Feburary 10, 2006. South Korea's antitrust watchdog said on Friday it had not yet reached a conclusion on whether Intel Corp. violated regulations in marketing its computer chips after raiding the U.S. firm's Seoul office earlier this week. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

-FILE PHOTO 17JUL02- The logo of Apple Computer Inc. and a 17-inch LCD of an iMac computer are seen at the Macworld Conference and Expo in New York in this July 17, 2002 file photo. [Apple Computer Inc. on June 7, 2005 said it will shift to using Intel Corp. microprocessors in its Macintosh computers, severing its long relationship with International Business Machines Corp. which had supplied the chips to Apple.]

A technician of AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, displays a wafer for the media in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. [German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday.]

A technician of AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, displays a wafer for the media in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. [German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday.]

Technicians of AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, display wafers for the media in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. [German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday.]

Hector Ruiz, CEO of U.S. semiconductor maker AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, displays a 300 millimetres wafer as he poses for the media in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. [German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday.]

Hector Ruiz, CEO of U.S. semiconductor maker AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, smiles as he addresses a news conference in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. [German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday.]

A technician of AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, displays a wafer for the media in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann AKW/JOH/ACM

Technicians of AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, display wafers for the media in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann AKW/JOH/SM

A technician of AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, displays a wafer for the media in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann AKW7joh/acm

Hector Ruiz, CEO of U.S. semiconductor maker AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, displays a 300 millimetres wafer as he poses for the media in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann AKWJOH/ACM

Hector Ruiz, CEO of U.S. semiconductor maker AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, smiles as he addresses a news conference in the eastern German city of Dresden May 17, 2004. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will take part at a topping-out ceremony for the company's newly built $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden later on Monday. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann AKW/JOH/acm

Eric Lehner sits in front of a Leica Autoscope looking for defects in Power PC microprocessors at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004, in a section of the plant bathed in yellow light to protect the sensitive chips being built. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors.

A custom made Power PC microprocessor pictured next to a nickel at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004. International Business Machines Corp. on March 31, 2004 unveiled a strategy to encourage other companies to more actively participate in the design of new products based on its microchips. TECOM REUTERS/Chip East FOR USE WITH STORY TECH IBM CME/SV

A wafer full of hundreds of Power PC 970 microprocessors is displayed at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors. REUTERS/Chip East CME

A Power PC 970 microprocessor, currently used by Apple Computer in the G5 workstations seen next to a quarter (a U.S. 25 cent coin)at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors. TECOM REUTERS/Chip East CME/JDP

Jon Matsen watches a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) full of 300 mm wafers of Power PC microprocessors being lowered from a transport robot to a wafer cleaner at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors. REUTERS/Chip East CME

Eric Lehner sits in front of a Leica Autoscope looking for defects in Power PC microprocessors at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004, in a section of the plant bathed in yellow light to protect the sensitive chips being built. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors. REUTERS/Chip East CME

A custom made PowerPC microprocessor seen next to a nickel (a U.S. five cent coin) at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York March 24, 2004. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors. REUTERS/Chip East CME/JDP

A wafer with hundreds of Power PC microprocessors is loaded into a machine to apply an oxide layer as part of the insulation process at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors. REUTERS/Chip East CME

A wafer full of hundreds of Power PC microprocessors is loaded into a cleaning tool at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors. REUTERS/Chip East CME

Workers sit at wirelessly linked laptop comurters at the IBM 300 mm Manufacturing Plant in East Fishkill, New York on March 24, 2004, monitoring the polishing of wafers full of Power PC microprocessors. This state of the art facility has become one of the largest outsource manufacturers of semiconductors. REUTERS/Chip East CME

A technician from the U.S. semiconductor maker AMD displays an eight inch wafer after a news conference in the eastern German city of Dresden November 20, 2003. AMD, the world's second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, confirmed on Thursday the company would build a $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden, following over a year of negotiations with state and federal governments.

A technician fromy the U.S. semiconductor maker AMD displays an eight
inch wafer after a news conference in the eastern German city of
Dresden November 20, 2003. AMD, the world's second-largest maker of
computer microprocessors after Intel Corp, confirmed on Thursday the
company would build a $2.4 billion chip plant in Dresden, following
over a year of negotiations with state and federal governments.
REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

AKW/MAD/GM

Saxonian State Premier Georg Milbradt jokes with Hector Ruiz (R), CEO
of U.S. semiconductor maker AMD before a news conference in the eastern
German city of Dresden November 20, 2003. AMD, the world's
second-largest maker of computer microprocessors after Intel Corp,
confirmed on Thursday the company would build a $2.4 billion chip plant
in Dresden, following over a year of negotiations with state and
federal governments. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann REUTERS

AKW

- PHOTO TAKEN 30JUN03 - Tokyo University professor Ken Sakamura shows a microprocessor chip which runs on TRON, an operating system he developed nearly 20 years ago. TRON has become the most widely used operating system, even more so than Microsoft's Windows, having claimed the dominant share as the basic software for microprocessors used in digital gadgets. [Had Sakamura decided to charge even one cent to each user of TRON, he would easily be a dollar billionaire by now. Picture taken June 30, 2003.]

Tokyo University professor Ken Sakamura shows a microprocessor chip which runs on TRON, an operating system he developed nearly 20 years ago. TRON has become the most widely used operating system, even more so than Microsoft's Windows, having claimed the dominant share as the basic software for microprocessors used in digital gadgets. Had Sakamura decided to charge even one cent to each user of TRON, he would easily be a dollar billionaire by now. Picture taken June 30, 2003. TO ACCOMPANY STORY LIFE-TECH-JAPAN. TECOM REUTERS/Issei Kato GN/PB

Tokyo University professor Ken Sakamura shows a microprocessor chip
which runs on TRON, an operating system he developed nearly 20 years
ago. TRON has become the most widely used operating system, even more
so than Microsoft's Windows, having claimed the dominant share as the
basic software for microprocessors used in digital gadgets. Had
Sakamura decided to charge even one cent to each user of TRON, he would
easily be a dollar billionaire by now. Picture taken June 30, 2003. TO
ACCOMPANY STORY LIFE-TECH-JAPAN. REUTERS/Issei Kato

GN/PB

A Chinese commuter walks past an Intel Centrino advertisement at Shanghai
subway station March 14, 2003. Intel Corp, the largest computer
microprocessor maker, launched a set of chips - known as Centrino - this
week that promises to make wireless Internet access a standard feature on
laptops and to untie computer users from power outlets and telephone jacks.
Separately, the company said it signed deals with China Mobile and China
Netcom to launch wireless telephone networks in China, a country with 59
million internet users, the world's second largest Web population after the
United States. REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV

CC/FA

Jerry Huck, manager and lead architect for the Hewlett-Packard Company, speaks at the Microprocessor Forum in San Jose, October 14. Huck has helped to design a new computer chip named Merced that is based on a 64-Bit Instruction Set Architecture.

COMPUTERS INTEL

John Crawford (L), Director of Microprocessor Architecture for Intel Corporation, speaks at the Microprocessor Forum in San Jose, California, October 14. Crawford introduced the design for the new Merced chip that is based on a 64-Bit Instruction Set Architecture that will dramatically improve server and workstation market performance in the next few years.

COMPUTERS INTEL

John Crawford (L), Director of Microprocessor Architecture for Intel Corporation, and Jerry Huck (R), Manager and Lead Architect for Hewlett-Packard Company, are introduced at the Microprocessor Forum in San Jose, California, October 14. Crawford and Huck introduced the design for the new Merced chip that is based on a 64-Bit Instruction Set Architecture that will dramatically improve server and workstation market performance in the next few years.

COMPUTERS INTEL