The Business Dynamics of Intel Desktop Computers

This dissertation explores the birth and evolution of the personal computing industry and, in particular, Intel as a corporation. Founded by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce in 1968, Intel was initially destined to produce large-scale semiconductor memories. However, fierce competition in the memory market coupled with the rising potential of the microprocessor market in the early 1980's prompted Intel to shift its core business. The corporation has never looked back since, and Intel revolutionized the personal computing industry with the introduction of its x86 series of microprocessors. Intel continues to miraculously double its microprocessor performance year after year, and remains a dominant force in the personal computing industry. Various tools, models, and frameworks were utilized to understand, analyze, and characterize the corporation and its related ecosystem. Intel's internal strengths and weaknesses are evaluated, and its external opportunities and threats noted. Business, competitive, and corporate level strategies are formulated in the basis of this evaluation, and the implementation of the different methodologies is illustrated.