INTEL to stop AMD with Skype exclusive deal

Just a few days ago, I cautioned that INTEL may try other tricks. To my surprise, INTEL has quickly come up with another idea to block AMD's road to fair market access, Intel has worked with Skype to programmatically limit the functionality of AMD64 CPUs.

According to CNET News:

Skype 2.0 software will allow 10-way conference calls only if it detects code specific to Intel's chips when the PC boots, said Rob Crooke, vice president of Intel's Business Client Group. Intel approached Skype with its plan to optimize code on its chips for Skype's software so users would have a good experience while hosting a multiperson conference call, Crooke said.


Specifically, if Skype 2.0 detects a 32 bit INTEL Core Duo CPU or an EM64T thermal throttling P4 D, then ten (10) way conference call is allowed; if an AMD CPU is detected, sorry, Skype only allows 5-way conference call. Put it simply, AMD is given only 50% of the Skype conference call quota, even though AMD64 CPUs are five generations ahead of any of INTEL's offering and AMD64 CPUs frag INTEL day and night.

In response to a ZDNet report that "Skype 2.0 looks like a virus", I made an educated guess that Skype developers were using obsolete INTEL CPUs incapable of NX bit virus protection found in AMD64. I now know I was right. Skype and INTEL are in bed.

Shame on you, cheap Skype Providers! Shame on you, INTEL Crookes!

Dutch providers, this is America, not the redlight streets of Amsterdam.

AMD should amend its lawsuit to include this.

EBAY should fire the Skype execs.

We all should use better VoIP solutions, Google's American technology is much better, even MSN Messenger does a better job.

Incidentally, Forbes wrote "Whitman's Skype, Intel Up Ante On Advanced VoIP", so now people know, Meg Whitman favours INTEL. But I heard that eBay's Xeon servers are running into heat problems.