Intel profits recover to $2.3 billion in Q4 2009, company describes it as 875 percent jump
By Vlad Savov 
posted January 15th 2010 2:20AM
posted January 15th 2010 2:20AM
Yo Intel, when your 2008 fourth quarter was one of the worst you ever recorded, it's slightly, just slightly, facetious to go trumpeting an 875 percent improvement in your 2009 fortunes. The self-appointed chipmaking rock star has clocked up $10.6 billion in revenues for the last quarter, which filters down to $2.3 billion in pure, unadulterated, mother-loving profit. That's good and indeed technically nearly nine times what the company achieved in the same period the previous year -- we'd just appreciate this to be represented as the recovery it is, rather than some major leap forward in the face of a global financial meltdown. Either way, the Santa Clara checkbook is now well and truly balanced, even if it would've looked fatter still but for the small matter of a $1.25 billion settlement reflected in last quarter's results.
You're welcome Intel! I bought two of those cpus of yours.
@knife
Maybe it could have been a round 1000 percent if Intel included native USB 3 support in their current gen chipsets for the i3, i5 and i7. And maybe ECC support for the integrated memory controller. (I'm not putting 6 GB of memory of increasingly dubious quality, lower operating voltage, ever so higher clock speed and data rate per clock cycle without any decent error correction support)
CHA CHA CHA CHING (in the melody of Intel)
@Eugene Action its hilarious that intel is now more profitable breaking the law then obeying it even with the penalty, new company catch phrase "intel, we are indeed above the law"
Intel needs to send a big box of chocolates or something to Microsoft for Win7.
@theylive
Lets just hope the box of chocolates doesn't blue screen...
Actually, i don't even know why i said that, except I felt like being silly. I actually love Windows 7 and am using it right now. Still, a bluescreening box of chocolates would be unfortunate (or awesome?).
-Taylor
Thanks Engadget, now I've the Geico song stuck in my head. All that's missing is Floyd Mayweather counting that cash on Youtube.
I always feeeel liiike..somebody's snowin' meeeee!
That settlement was a joke and this is proof that it was just chump change to them. They need a serious competitor to light a fire under their ass. AMD used to be able to do that except Intel just pulled their monopoly power to make sure they still won the sales.....leaving AMD in a financial black hole, unable to get back in a competitive state.
You all rave about your new iNumber (wonder how they came up with that) but you're just feeding the machine more and more. When are people going to learn to stop giving their money to a company that is blatantly abusing their position in the market...if they had any real competition we would actually have usb 3.0 widespread and atoms that can play 1080p youtube by now
@KeegdnaB
I'm going to make an assumption based on your crack about Intel copying the i-prefix from someone, but if you've ever purchased anything from Apple, or iTunes, you don't get to demonize supporting monopolists.
Apple had their own anti-trust issues, and what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
@KeegdnaB
Yeah your right, instead of spending my money on the best chip for the price I should have just bought an AMD one just so I could tell the world about my chip-lovin philanthropy.
@swastyka
Your right (although not many), but I put MY money. I bought at the high end and AMD is so far from the top end it's not even funny any more..
@KeegdnaB
I agree with you 1000%. I know it's early and most of the previous responders haven't woken up yet, so they may say some things that are counter productive to their own welfare, but I got you. And you're right. If we don't take a stand against companies who abuse their privilege to function in the marketplace on our behalf, then we might as well throw the rules away and let every evil doer do whatever evil they propose to perpetrate.
For whomever it is up there that was blathering about Philanthropy... wake up, no one is asking you to sponsor AMD in a welfare state, the point is, if you value fair market practices, if you value merit based market share, if you value fair play because these are in YOUR Self-Interest, then support the companies that are doing things legally, and stop supporting companies that are doing things illegally.
For those that can't find the proper analogy... this is the same as deciding between a bully and the bullied, the same as between gas guzzler and gas sipper, between pollution creating methods / means and those cleaning up / stopping bad practices. This is equivalent to a company being told not to dump chemicals in a river, but still choosing to dump, because they can get away with it and because they can afford it, because everyone blindly buys their products.
You will do what you want, and I certainly understand the allure of highly successful products demanding one's attention, but there is also the LONG TERM to consider, and will we be so lucky 10 years down the line if there is no control over the beast?
@KeegdnaB
Did you buy an AMD CPU recently? I'd be mad too.
@KeegdnaB
Yeah it must be nice when you have a complete monopoly on chips that you make and sell. Good point!
"That's good and indeed technically nearly nine times what the company achieved in the same period the previous year -- we'd just appreciate this to be represented as the recovery it is, rather than some major leap forward in the face of a global financial meltdown."
Except that's kind of their point, even in the middle of all this, and even after a billion dollar fine, they're back where they were in 2007.
If not for the fine, Intel would have posted nearly as much profit in Q4'09 as they did in H1'07.
I don't own any Intel stock, but with Arrandale and Clarkdale, I'm looking forward to seeing their Q1'10 earnings.
I can see the Intel SSD meetings -
Intel #1: "Hey - we're ready to introduce those new 40GB SSDs for $90 at a HUGE, and I mean unhealthy, huge profit!"
Intel Hack # 2: "Great! Let's charge $130 - those chump consumers will pay ANYTHING!"
@louden
This just in you don't have to buy your SSD's from Intel
@spsfinest
HOW DARE YOU USE LOGIC AND COMMON SENSE!
and the drinks are on moi.
*sigh*
I knew AMD settled for too little. I said it the first time they mentioned the settlement and I'm saying it now. Considering the debt they still have to deal with, they should've pushed for more.
BALLIN!!!!
Really they should have photoshopped a pair of eyes onto a stack of Benjamins, come on Engadget its 2.3 Billion. 2 stacks of $5 is an insult.