One West Coast system builder has had its Pentium allocation doubled by Intel Corp, sources hear. A UK personal computer manufacturer says the same has been granted to it. So what’s occurring? Although Intel claims that it is reaching its Pentium production targets, news reaching our sister paper Unigram.X suggests that one (or more) of its preferred suppliers isn’t taking up its full Pentium allocation. That’s probably because it is proving difficult for manufacturers to shift Pentium systems in any significant numbers because of the price they are having to ask for Pentium inside. As well as the lofty charge Intel is making for Pentium, observers argue that the cheaper and faster 80486 clones from Cyrix Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc are looking more and more attractive. Moreover, IBM Corp’s forthcoming Blue Lightning – a 100MHz 80486 clock-tripler (though it’s still 33MHz on the bus) – is shaping up to be the highest 80486 specification part and that will be available by the end of the year: Pentium performance at half the price?
