Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!ukc!cs.tcd.ie!vax1!rwallace
From: rwallace@vax1.tcd.ie
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Dram Prices...
Message-ID: <31473@vax1.tcd.ie>
Date: 25 Jan 89 15:40:35 GMT
References: <18814@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <6175@ecsvax.uncecs.edu> <2357@cuuxb.ATT.COM> <24010@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Organization: Computer Laboratory, Trinity College Dublin
Lines: 40

In article <24010@amdcad.AMD.COM>, ching@pepsi.amd.com (Mike Ching) writes:
> In article <2357@cuuxb.ATT.COM> fmcgee@cuuxb.UUCP (Frank W. McGee) writes:
>  >In article <6175@ecsvax.uncecs.edu> urjlew@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Rostyk Lewyckyj) writes:
>  >>
>  >>The US embargo is a knee-jerk reaction not well thought out
>  >>and ineffective. THis is not to rule out embargoes in general,
>  >>or even an embargo against Japanese electronics if properly
>  >>coupled with other steps.
>  >
>  >I second this opinion.  It's been almost a year since the price of DRAM
>  >went through the roof, and there still aren't any cheap US made chips.
>  >I'd support the action if it had actually helped US industry, but
>  >instead it has helped no one.  I think it's a classic example of the US
>  >government stepping into a situation they knew nothing about, and
>  >making it much worse than it originally was.
>  >
>  >As for the situation being "dangerous" because of defense reasons (ie,
>  >DoD is dependent upon far eastern chip makers) I think that statement
>  >doesn't hold much water either.  If the US couldn't re-tool to make
>  >DRAMS in an emergency in under a few months, it has a lot worse
>  >problems than chip dumping.
>  >
>  >-- 
>  >Frank McGee
>  >Tier 3 Indirect Channel Sales Support
>  >attmail!fmcgee
> 
> 
> I agree that the governments actions didn't help the DRAM situation but
> the action also included EPROMs which was the next target market for the
> Japanese. Semiconductor manufacturers lobbied for government help to protect
> their future, not to regain a lost market. The US has "a lot worse problems
> than chip dumping" by your definition because there is no way we could
> retool in under a few months to produce DRAMs, especially since the precision
> tool market is now dominated by the Japanese. We Americans are so inefficient
> and incompetetant that we will eventually be relegated to jobs in the service
> industries.
> 
> mike ching
> Disclaimer: My opinion is probably shared by my employer.