Commenting on Intel processors' security bug issue, sources from PC brand vendors have pointed out that the CPU giant had several meetings with them at the end of 2017 discussing how to resolve the problem, but failed to come to a conclusion.
Meanwhile, related upstream suppliers noted that they have not yet seen any major change in orders in the wake of the security issue and are shipping products regularly.
Intel has already started offering software and firmware updates to patch the security hole and stressed the patch will only have a minor impact on the PC's performance for the average users.
Some market watchers believe the security issue's impact on PC demand will not appear until around mid-February as it usually takes a month for any decision from the upstream sector to show its impact on the downstream operation.
However, the market watchers also noted that the extent of harm done by the security issue to PC demand remains still needs to be monitored and it could undermine vendors' PC shipments during the whole first-half 2018.
Consumers' attitude is a key factor. Although Intel has insisted that the security patch will only slightly undermine PC performance, it remains to be seen how well consumers will accept Intel's arguments.
Compared to ordinary consumers, enterprise users are more concerned about the security problem and Intel has already been working with its downstream server partners over the past two weeks to bring solutions for each different platform and therefore shipments to the enterprise sector are expected to see limited change. |