Hogwash it is.
Just think to a short time ago, when the X2 was king. I recall reading several sources which reported AMD could not supply the chain that it did have in the first place.
In its statement announcing its complaint, the FTC claims Intel "has illegally used its dominant market position for a decade to stifle competition and strengthen its monopoly."A decade eh? That would be 1999 when the Athlon core made it's debut.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AthlonMany of us changed from Intel to AMD once they gained the performance crown. They held this crown until the summer of 2006 when Intel finally struck back with the Core2 Conroe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core_2I wish the FTC luck in proving the American consumer was harmed by Intel's supposed business practices to shut out AMD. It is a matter of public record which shows AMD could not satisfy consumer demand. It would be a different story if AMD was left with warehouses of stock that didn’t sell.
We must keep in mind these prosecutors in the states are political positions, appointments, and in some cases elected persons to office of Attorney General.
Now really guys, let’s compare what performance $2000.00 would buy you in 1999, against what performance you could buy with the same money in 2006, or even today and from either manufacture. The FTC will have a hard time in proving the US consumer was harmed.