While computers in general and in particular processors are designed to perform precise operations, over time, many of them were subjected to errors, fault-producing firms belonging engineers. These errors can cause incorrect results, blocking the entire system. Although almost every generation contains at least one bug, the most publicized event of this category occurred in late 1994, the impugned as Intel Pentium processor with its own.
On October 30, 1994, a professor at a university in Virginia, made public on the Internet discovered an error in calculations Pentium 60, immediately called FDIV bug (from Floating-Point Divide). The scandal caused was enormous, immediately made news around the world, on 13 December, IBM announced halt deliveries of computers based on this processor to replace it with one error-free. In fact the bug was originally discovered by Intel and its discovery at the market already is producing processors revised without fateful bug.
Although formally recognized by Intel, said the defect was minor. Intel president himself has publicly apologized, stressing the idea that the likelihood of error is extremely low, it appeared only at certain floating point division and only in applications requiring FPU’s. While Intel processors who had promised to replace all the defective, the manufacturer was slightly wrinkled image, which was already the world trust in the PC, remains puzzled that it can not run a trivial mathematical operation. Moreover, the fervor rush bug, most of the time software errors began to be attributable to Intel’s. This entire story cost Intel about $ 2 billion.
This was not the only Pentium’s error. On November 7, 1997, it unveiled a series of instructions (F0 0F C7 C8) that block irretrievably processor, whether or not the MMX version. This sequence is not valid, but instead generates appropriate discontinuation (Invalid Opole), the system freezes.
Again, the probability of executing the wrong instruction is extremely small; its gravity comes from the fact that the blocking system, regardless of cause, can have very serious consequences. The error was corrected with the advent of Pentium Pro / II. 
And competition was also struck by scandals. Cyrix 6×86 + to block the execution of a series of instructions that even valid, but the error can be corrected by software. Both generations were famous 6×86 and incompatibility with certain programs, by blaming the manufacturer of processors to software developers that and vice versa. AMD K6 generates error “segment violation” under certain circumstances, on systems with more than 32 MB of memory. Windows 95 OSR2 can not start with a K6-2 processor or greater 350 MHz AMD offering a patch to fix it.
Outlook
AMD is struggling to wrest percentage as a percentage of sales volume in the Santa Clara giant, called the law “Chip Zilla. AMD’s outsider, “Challenger’s”, and automatically captures more audience friendly. Computer enthusiasts seek blown this fight, in the smallest detail, fight whose outcome is not even on the prognosis of six months.
Intel has fame and money needed to meet virtually any difficult circumstances imposed by the competition. But the pace of recent years has shown that, step by step, AMD is close to his rival imperceptibly. Some predict that AMD will exceed Intel, as happened in the 3D arena, with NVIDIA and 3dfx. Others say that Intel could always buying AMD’s escape, but willingly assumed this “thorn in the back” to not be accused of monopoly. Does that surprise future?
As the world is already divided into “Intel fans” and “Anti-Intel”, I simply put straw on fire if I continue to appreciate what is right and what is wrong with those two competitors. We’ll let time decide so we will present only at the end of the current trends of the market for PC microprocessors.
Soon, the only product from Intel will be based or derived from the Pentium 4. One may say that the Pentium 4 has a long life before him, particularly because of its outstanding scalability. At the end of 2003 will witness the passage of 0.09 micron production line while presenting the next versions of Pentium 4, codenamed Prescott, whose specifications are impressive: L1 and L2 cache doubled, both new instructions and related media of Hyper Threading, and increased FSB. 
Naturally, AMD’s efforts are focused on the deposition of the ubiquitous “Pentium 4. Earlier this year will be dominated by the new processors on 0.13 micron Athlon 333 FSB, both Thoroughbred and Barton core and is expected in late 2003, after numerous delays, the first 64-bit processor for the general public: Athlon 64, Athlon XP, which will push the low-entry area, and thus doomed Duron’s disappearance.
