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The Color Of Silicon: Page 6 of 6

Some people will always buy Intel because it's the safe thing to do. Others will cleave to AMD because they love an underdog just like themselves, especially a scrappy innovative one like AMD. Any significant change in either chipmaker's market share will be temporary, eliminated as the two players adjust their pricing and marketing expenditures. Neither company can grow significantly at the other's expense.

The only way to increase the pot in a pool tournament is to draw bigger crowds. Better play is what people will pay to see. The competition between Intel and AMD is what keeps both firms' revenue growing, and the computing industry moving forward. Neither firm can afford to win decisively.

David Hakala is a freelance technology writer based in Colorado.