AMD has no plans for Geode successor, retirement party

You know that low-power Geode processor that powered a-many of OLPC XOs? Better stock up now, 'cause AMD isn't planning a proper successor. In the words of spokesman Phil Hughes: "There are no plans for a follow-on product to today's available AMD Geode LX products, but we expect to make this very successful processor available to customers as long as the market demands." Pretty straightforward if we should say so ourselves, but it'll be kind of weird with just VIA and Intel holding down the low-power CPU fort. According to Dean McCarron, president for Mercury Research, the Geode was "a nice niche market for [AMD]," but considering the current market, the chip maker is being forced to focus its efforts on fewer devices. It's been real, Geode -- way to go out on top.

[Via HotHardware]

[is perfection Posted Jan 28th 2009 3:38AM]

now who didn't see that one coming?

[Blastar Posted Jan 28th 2009 3:50AM]

Why AMD seems to be always a step back from Intel.
Is it just because intel is just better.... ??

[ACER Posted Jan 28th 2009 4:12AM]

@Blastar: You start a company that directly competes with Intel and let me know how it goes for you.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 28th 2009 7:47AM]

@Blastar

One step behind Intel is exactly the very reason why AMD is better. Remember AMD's old tagline: Smarter Choice? Well, AMD is smarter than Intel for letting Intel take the lead as well as all the risks and hardship of being the leader.

[Tony C Posted Jan 28th 2009 8:19AM]

AMD had the upper hand with Intel for a short time before Centrino came along... Then Intel came to their collective engineering senses shortly thereafter and has been beating AMD to a pulp ever since... When will AMD have their epiphany...?

[Piranha Posted Jan 28th 2009 10:23AM]

The Geode and Atom/VIAs are really for a different market. If you look at the ALIX boards, you'll quickly see a wide range of Geode systems. The Atom still uses over 3x the power, you require a heatsync, and there aren't too many good chipsets out for it. The Atoms can make small systems, but the Geodes cane make DAMN SMALL systems.

Sure, for a netbook market the Geode doesn't win, but maybe that's not what AMD is after [anymore]. They make damn good CHEAP embedded boards for some appliances- cases for $10 (with power adapter), included memory onboard, CPU - with only the need for a storage medium. I'm actually considering getting one to setup some routers for friends..

[Blastar Posted Jan 28th 2009 11:05PM]

OK Smart people.. Why Intel Kicks out AMD in Watt/Power or Value/Power ?
AMD "Was" in front for quite much time but not anymore..
@ A.C.E.R.: I am not planing such a thing but AMD is behind Intell in Market sells. for quite long now.
@Lke_A_Glove: When was the Last time AMD beated Intel CPU's in Benchmarks ?
Is i7 and Atom a step behind AMD ?
My question is this.. Is AMD is beind Intell because Intell can make better products or maybe is something else that caused this ??
I know that AMD's technology was brilliant but what I don't understand is why all sudden Intel got better.

[Tony C Posted Jan 28th 2009 8:16AM]

Sooo... Is this all that remains of Cyrix/National Semiconductor's CPU legacy...? So sad.

[nihaoyao Posted Jan 28th 2009 10:04AM]

i think this spells the end of amd. so they aren't going to compete on the low end, and they can't compete on the high end, what exactly are they going to sell? i find it puzzling to see them pull out of the fastest growing market segment in the industry...

[Aaronage Posted Jan 28th 2009 2:06PM]

Its a niche market, it is intended for miniITX setups.

They are still very competitive in the low end market of desktops/laptops.

Just a wild guess, but from the sounds of it Athlon Neo could take its place :)

[OddManOut Posted Jan 28th 2009 10:53AM]

So sad...and I only just recently finally found myself a Geode based Netbook...

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Black-Mini-PC-Netbook-Laptop-UMPC-Computer-Wi-Fi_W0QQitemZ380098545063QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLaptops_Nov05?hash=item380098545063&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

[speculatrix Posted Jan 28th 2009 3:48PM]

AMD just don't seem to get into any of the niche markets, can't seem to market themselves very well. Anyone heard of their Elan series of embedded processors?
no?
thought not.

Through work, I even met a senior marketing guy who talked about their new CPUs, and how they were introducing performance enhancements to stave off Intel's i7/Nehalem. I told him starkly that AMD needed to produce more sexy products!

[tanooki2003 Posted Jan 28th 2009 6:31PM]

If you honestly think that because of this it spells doom, gloom, and the end of AMD then you fall into one of the few categories:

You are ignorant because you base your conclusions from the biased comments of others.
You really don't know how to get the entire story.
You have know idea how to find the entire facts and the game plan of AMD.

Saying that AMD canceling the Geode means the end of AMD is about as dumb as saying GE is closing their doors because they are no longer going to supply IC chips that are used in making x-ray machines.

Look just because AMD decided to kill off the Geode does not mean that they are failing, falling farther behind, or will close their doors any time soon. The Geode was not ever to be considered a huge source of profit for AMD, much like flash memory and network chips, and is definitely not considered a mainstream CPU like the Atom or the C7/Nano. The Geode has always fallen in the same category as MIPS and ARM. To AMD the Geode was more of an embedded developer's experimental CPU. The advantage with the Geode is that it has x86 code for computerized appliances such as Wyse Winterms, robotic engineering circuits, embedded developers...etc. The Geode was never designed to be a competitor of Atom or VIA's C3 or C7.

Next time instead of listening to biased pro-intel fanboys take some time out of your gaming/blogging/chatting/emailing schedule, research and learn a little about the company before you go and blurt out ridiculous comments or deducing very foolish, almost retarded conclusions.