Intel slashed the price of Pentium 4 processors for desktops and notebooks over the weekend by up to 53 percent, an annual spring ritual designed to stimulate demand for its premier PC chip.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker cut the price of the desktop version of the chip from 12 percent to 43 percent, according to a price list issued by the company. The 2.4GHz version of the chip dropped from $562 to $400, a 29 percent drop, while the 2.26GHz and 2.2GHz versions of the chip fell from $423 to $241, a 43 percent drop. Other Pentium 4s were cut from 12 percent to 32 percent.
Notebook chips dropped even more. Pentium 4 notebook chips have not sold as well as expected, according to analysts, especially in the corporate market. The chip is primarily usedin the thicker "desktop replacement" notebooks rather than the "thin and light" versions more popular with corporate America. Both price cuts have been expected.
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