Message-ID: <12194308.1075851523659.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 13:04:04 -0700 (PDT) From: info@gilder.com To: gilder-technology-report@earth.lyris.net Subject: [gilder-technology-report] The Friday Letter v.31.0 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: info@gilder.com@ENRON X-To: Gilder Technology Report X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \ALEWIS (Non-Privileged)\Deleted Items X-Origin: LEWIS-A X-FileName: ALEWIS (Non-Privileged).pst =================================== from Gilder Publishing THE FRIDAY LETTER e-mailed weekly, for friends and subscribers =================================== | http://www.gilder.com/ | Issue 31.0/October 26, 2001 HEADLINES: * The Week/ The Evolution of Digital Design * Friday Feature/ Broadband or Bust * Friday Bonus/ Rising Star * Friday Bonus 2/ Telecom's Dark and Stormy Night * Poll Question/ Got Broadband? * Readings * Conference Calendar * Subscribe / Unsubscribe Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE WEEK/ The Evolution of Digital Design "Why are PLD companies like Altera (ALTR) and Xilinx (XLNX) on our list while ASIC companies like LSI Logic (LSI) are not? In electronic design, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) connote high performance, high density, and low cost for high-volume uses. Think DVD player. Programmable logic devices (PLDs) connote flexibility, low performance, and high cost for prototyping. Think latest Cisco (CSCO) router. Continuous improvements in PLDs raise their performance and lower their cost, increasing the uses for which PLDs and ASICs compete. ASIC vendors are adding programmable logic to their chips. The PLD vendors are adding "hard" macros. Are these businesses con-verging? Or are companies like Altera and LSI Logic practicing "diworsification?" Altera, a PLD company, is making chips that can't be changed, and LSI Logic, an ASIC company, is making chips that can be changed. What strategy will dominate? We'll develop the insight to answer these questions by tracing the evolution of digital design from the introduction of integrated circuit building blocks -- "IC macros." "Each technology wave changes the designer's job. As Moore's law drives more transistors onto the chip, the design process changes. The productivity and the skills of the designers change. The level of abstraction for the engineer changes. By level of abstraction, I mean the units that are the building blocks for the translation of the written specification into the physical hardware. In the early days of digital design, the level of abstraction was the inverter and the AND gate. Working with inverters and AND gates was simpler and quicker than designing with individual transistors, resistors, capacitors, and other "discrete" components. As I trace the evolution of digital design, I'll point out changes in the design process, designer productivity, engineering skills, level of abstraction, verification and debug methods, and changes in the flexibility and capability of the end systems." That was the lead for the newest Dynamic Silicon report written by Nick Tredennick and Brion Shimamoto. Posted this week for subscribers at http://www.dynamicsilicon.com/. Subscribe today at http://www.dynamicsilicon.com/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- FRIDAY FEATURE/ Broadband or Bust "In a recent survey, by a margin of 2 to 1, Internet dial-up users said that lack of compelling applications, rather than price or availability, kept them from upgrading to broadband." "In times of national emergency, as with the horror of the terror assault on New York and Washington, communications capacity is rapidly overloaded... The vast potential of broadband optics is the best way to obviate the need for such rationing." Just a few tidbits from the new report "Broadband or Bust: Networking Society to Accelerate Economic Growth" written by George Gilder and John Wohlstetter. Posted, free of charge, and published by our good friends at the Discovery Institute http://www.discovery.org/ ~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY BONUS/ Rising Star Just yesterday the Wall Street Journal had this to say about Bret Schundler: "The most intriguing politician this election autumn is Bret Schundler, the 43-year-old former Mayor of Jersey City." We happen to agree. In the current issue of the American Spectator our own Bret Swanson sat down with the rising star. Read the full interview at www.gilder.com, compliments of the American Spectator, subscribe at http://www.gilder.com/AmSpec_forms/AmSpecSub.asp ~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY BONUS 2/ Weathering telecom's dark and stormy night In this interview, McKinsey adviser and former FCC chairman Reed Hundt probes the future of the telecommunications industry and discusses how companies in it are reacting to deregulation and to their current travails with high debt and sluggish revenues. In-depth, insightful, lucid, and must reading if you are at all interested in the future of the telecommunications industry. Aren't we all? Published by The Mckinsey Quarterly at http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_page.asp?tk=308062:1123:22&ar=1123&L2=22&L3=78 (free registration required) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- GILDER PUBLISHING EXCLUSIVE OFFER ATTENTION ALLERGY AND FLU SUFFERERS: Own the most high-tech air purifier every invented -- the only to combine both HEPA and UV Light purification processes. Start reducing you respiratory problems today. Go here http://www.gilder.com/air/index.asp to find out more! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- GET THE GILDER BIOTECH REPORT The Moment Has Arrived http://www.gilderbiotech.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GET THE GILDER TECHNOLOGY REPORT Monthly, From the Heart of the Telecosm http://www.gildertech.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GET THE DIGITAL POWER REPORT Electrons Matter http://www.digitalpowerreport.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GET DYNAMIC SILICON Linking the Microcosm and the Telecosm http://www.dynamicsilicon.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GET THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR Online special--50% off cover price! http://www.gilder.com/AmSpecSub.asp =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gilder.com Poll Results Question: Should the US send ground troops into Afghanistan? We stuck that question in and hit send last Friday right before it happened. And 88% of you still agree that it was the right move. Up Next: Are broadband services available where you live? Weigh in now at http://www.gilder.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ READINGS Qualcomm's European Beachhead? http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011023000566 Global Crossing rolls out VPN products http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2001/1016globalcrossing.html Sun's JXTA http://www.fortune.com/indext.jhtml?channel=print_article.jhtml&doc_id=204811 Sun Debuts 'Sun One' http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO65030,00.html Applied Materials Begins VC Fund http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-7666900.html?tag=nbs Tangled Telecom Strategy http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT38YDZI7TC AT&T Scraps "Project Angel" http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3HWMFX5TC China Telecoms Strengthened by Consolidation http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011025000273 G.P.S. Aids Investigators at Attack Site http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/25/technology/circuits/25TOWE.html (Registration Required) Wireless Priority Access http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/22/technology/ebusiness/22NECO.html (Registration Required) Everything XP http://www.cnet.com/software/0-6688749.html?tag=sd Programmer Exposes Microsoft Flaws http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/23/technology/23PIRA.html (Registration Required) Apple's Musical Jukebox http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/25/technology/circuits/25STAT.html (Registration Required) Transformation of the Enterprise http://www.internetweek.com/transformation2001 (Registration Required) Electronic Paper Chase http://www.sciam.com/2001/1101issue/1101ditlea.html Information Warfare http://www.technologyreview.com/magazine/nov01/freedman.asp U.S. Army Marches into Smart-Card Era http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-7665983.html?tag=mn_hd A Smarter Web http://www.technologyreview.com/magazine/nov01/frauenfelder.asp OC192 Processors: Who's First http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=9088 Security and Network Management http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO64997,00.html Security Requests Soar At IT Services Firms http://www.internetweek.com/story/INW20011008S0003 Our Friend: Carver Mead http://www.redherring.com/index.asp?layout=story&channel=40000004&doc_id=150020415&rh_special_report_id Beware the Boosted Biotechs http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011024000579 Beyond Chicken Soup http://www.sciam.com/2001/1101issue/1101haseltine.html Two Suitors for DirecTV http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/26/business/media/26BIRD.html (Registration Required) DOJ Investigates Record Industry http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/22/technology/ebusiness/22TUNE.html (Registration Required) Powell Reviews Media Ownership Curbs http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011024000351 It's the Cars, Not the Tires, That Sqeal http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/25/technology/circuits/25CARR.html (Registration Required) Dissent in the Maelstrom http://www.sciam.com/2001/1101issue/1101profile.html -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- GILDER CONFERENCE CALENDAR **Telecosm Conference Rescheduled** Telecosm 2001: Charge of the Light Brigade November 4-6, 2001 at The Fairmont * San Francisco, CA For more details, visit http://www.gilder.com/telecosm =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- FRIDAY LETTER STAFF ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave Dortman (ddortman@gilder.com) John Hammill (jhammill@gilder.com) E-Mail Wizard Bob Sauve (rsauve@gilder.com) CONTRIBUTORS THIS WEEK: John Hammill, Dave Dortman, Spencer Reiss, Sandy Fleischmann ADVERTISING INFORMATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Friday Letter is mailed each week to more than 150,000 subscribers and friends of Gilder Publishing, including industry leaders, financial professionals and individual investors. For information about advertising, contact Brian Cole, VP Business Development at bcole@gilder.com, tel 860-434-0614. FEEDBACK AND PROBLEMS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send letters to the editor to Fridayletter@gilder.com For technical problems, please e-mail Fridayhelp@gilder.com You can also contact us via: Gilder Publishing, Customer Service 888-484-2727; outside the U.S.1-413-644-2100 1-413-644-2123 (fax) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Friday Letter is published weekly for subscribers and friends of Gilder Publishing. If someone you know would enjoy it, please feel free to forward a copy. To SUBSCRIBE please visit http://www.gilder.com/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Copyright 2001 Gilder Publishing LLC --- You are currently subscribed to gilder-technology-report as: alewis@ect.enron.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-gilder-technology-report-661837S@earth.lyris.net