Does Intel Really Dominate the Market?

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That's a trick question.

Intel obviously makes most of the microprocessor chips used in PCs (and Macintoshes). Everybody knows that. But the PCs (and Mac) business isn't actually very big. (It's very profitable, but it's not very many units.) In fact, if you counted all the PCs and Macs in the world they would add up to just 2% (two percent) of all the microprocessor chips used worldwide. So it's fair to say that Intel dominates that 2% segment of the market.

The company is a comparatively small player for the other 98% of microprocessor and microcontroller chips. That market (called "embedded" microprocessors) is much broader and includes dozens of vendors from all over the world. There is no dominant player in that market: not Intel, not AMD or ARM or Fujitsu or Sony or any other company. It's quite fragmented.

Are You Related to Jim Turley at Ernst & Young?

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Nope. Different guy.

What Does Silicon Insider Do?

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A lot of things. There's a quick primer on the company here.

 

What's the Best Microprocessor Today?

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That depends on what you're doing. There's no "best" chip, just like there's no best car, best house, or best pair of shoes. It all depends on what you want to spend and what you need your processro to do.

Here at Silicon Insider, we track more than 100 different kinds of microprocessor and microcontroller chips, so we're always on top of the business. We can help you (or your clients or customers) decide what chip's best for them.

What's the Difference Between Silicon and Silicone?

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Lots of people say "silicone valley" when they mean "silicon valley."

Silicon is the shiny stuff that computer chips are made of.

Silicone is the stuff you buy at the hardware store to fix squeaky hinges. It's also used in cosmetic surgery.

As you can see, silicone (with an E on the end) and silicon (no E) are two different things. they just happen to be spelled similarly, but that's the only thing they have in common.