“Intel… [may be] finally getting ready to throw off the
software shackles long imposed on it by Microsoft. Microsoft has
generally taken a dim view of Intel’s software efforts,
particularly those in the graphics department, and the chip giant
testified in the software behemoth’s antitrust trial that it
scuttled work on graphics-related Native Signal Processing (NSP)
technology in the face of Microsoft’s threats.”
“…rumor has it that Intel geeks sequestered at its
Hillsboro, Oregon, R&D facility are hard at work on a
top-secret plan to introduce an alternative to Microsoft’s dominant
DirectX technology for 3D computer graphics. Especially
interested in this technology are said to be famed Microsoft victim
Netscape Communications and its buyer and Microsoft archrival
America Online, rumored to want the technology for the Communicator
browser.
AOL refused to comment, and Intel flaks flat-out deny the whole
thing. But Skinformants, including one briefed by Intel, assure the
Rumor Mill there are indeed some graphics APIs cooking in Hillsboro
that will cause thunderclouds of discontent to rise over Redmond.
Our own speculation is that… the APIs are an answer to
Microsoft’s bungled Chromeffects effort to bring advanced computer
graphics from the PC to the Web.”
Complete
Story [ Scroll down to middle of page, or do browser Find
on “intel”. – LT ed. ]
