Could it be that Intel is milking consumers for every penny they can possibly squeeze out of their pockets? According to this article (stolen from a no less than a dozen other sites :), Intel has stepped up the making of their “Willamette” chip by nine months. One would almost suspect that if Intel could have done this without the pressure they’re getting from the Athlon, they would have. But I don’t think so. I’m sure they release ever-faster chips in small doses, though the technology for huge jumps in speed is already here, only to squeeze every dollar possible out of its buyers. Most companies cater to their buyers, but Intel caters to nobody but their pocketbooks.