Just as Intel has regained much of its lost momentum in dominance of the microprocessor market, the European Commission (EC) accused Intel of alleged monopolist acts of anticompetition. Meanwhile entirely by coincidence (I'm sure) as Intel is facing these new legal issues, AMD announced upcoming processor plans designed to create a more competitive market.

As Intel and AMD continue to fight over market share, the variation in processor prices will continue to affect computer makers and retailers. As the biggest computer sales season arrives with the back to school shopping season, manufacturers and retailers alike are in a frenzy to adjust to the right pricing formula.

The European Commission allegations suppose Intel's renewed momentum in the market against AMD was based on three monopolist tactics:

First, Intel had provided 'substantial rebates' to several OEMs under the condition that they buy their microprocessors exclusively from Intel. Secondly, Intel paid OEMs if they delayed or canceled the roll-out of products based on AMD CPUs. Thirdly, Intel has offered microprocessors to server OEMs under cost in order to block the competitor.
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AMD's reliance on Barcelona to revitalize their lagging competitiveness couldn't come early enough against longtime rival Intel, who over the past year has grown accustomed to exploiting AMD's weakened executions following a stellar rise that saw the number two microprocessor maker rise to prominence the past few years.

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