@Burgles: We don't yet know the 200 new instructions, whether they break patents or not. It may aswell be similar stuff to Wine or the Windows equivalent (in theory). Now, you'd have a processor that could perform any current program, but would gain high performance from the MIPS code.
Now, consider 199 desktop/laptop that could run any current programs and would have high performance with the MIPS code.
If it doesn't infridge patents, it can be put out to western market, and if it does, the "national security" may require its use in domestic market.

By the way, calling this bullshit, which can be a viable product for cheap price, really shows it has potential. I doubt Intel is calling it BS, and neither is M$.

The reason for Windows/x86 dominance in computers is largely because of all PC manufacturers being dependant on M$ with creating most of their revenue with Windows computers. Just recently M$ started pushing out the Asus eee laptop, which ran on Linux. Asus wanted to keep their OEM Windows cheap, so they decided to drop it off slowly.
Now, this solution would be dependant on M$ or Intel and the x86 compatibility could eventually be dropped off, if wanted.

And "west not wanting to support chinese products", yes we do. We buy all the cheap stuff that the western companies manufacture in China and sell cheap around here. Besides, we are talking about open source developement, which would take only moments to port all the current open source software to support the processor. Besides, the PS2 Linux, for example, is already running on MIPS code.

How so? since China has entered the market many US jobs have been exported from the USA to China and other countries due to the fact US companies cant compete with the costs of labor in China meaning that the USA lost millions of jobs to overseas workers who are willing to work for pennies meaning all imported products will automatically be cheaper then what is produced within the USA. If the Chinese people were paid wages similar to us then I wouldn't have a problem but since labor costs are cheap as heck over there they shave off the savings off the produced product making it so that even with tariffs the products will be sold cheaper. In the end it would force Intel, AMD, and in a small token IBM to lose business which could lead to layoffs, exporting of jobs, and lose in quality.

Now tell me is this a good thing? I think not.

How much do you want to bet this is a copy of Intel or AMD chips? Not that Chinese companies/government couldn't create a quality CPU, just that they are big on illegal products so I would bet that they are simply copies produced in house.

EDIT: Well looks like it is based on MIPS, so definitely not an Intel/AMD rip off.

@Superchunck: You should have read the topic. It's not Intel/AMD ripoff. What it clearly said was, MIPS processor with 200 added instructions. I'm not sure who own the MIPS rights at the moment, but if i recall, it was SGI at some point.

@ssj: I believe the issue is that it's not the China that is destroying the industries, but the industries itself, that move their labor into China. Atleast this time the competition would be "fair".
And besides, Intel already has a number of manufacturing units "abroad" (such as Vietnam and China) and are making more of them, so it looks like even without outside competition from China, Intel would eventually be closing its domestic units.

@Squilliam: Why make open source programs? In any case, there's a huge sales potential in China even with high piracy rate, and China will eventually get the piracy rate down.

Open source = free. Why make something if you can't sell it?

China does have a reputation of just pooching off the west's R+D budgets.

Hmmm.. it seems a lot of you haven't been to China lately.. It's changing and it is bringing quality stuff out.. because their national market demands it.. People are getting richer there and are willing to buy good quality products.. And are using quality.. I was ad a design agency in April and they were using the Adobe Creative Suite.. legal.. A few years back you would just walk into a illegal software shop, but nowadays it's hard to find them.. China changed fast.. and will dominate the international market..

@Squiliam: The trend is everywhere, newspapers are trending to be given away for free, you can watch TV for free (theoretically, but the commercial funded channels are free), even the website we're in is free. And the reason for it? The revenue is generated in other ways than selling the product itself. You can sell service, ads, some "extras" etc.
Besides, open source has a lot of people supporting it for free.

@NikkoM: The western companies, and the chinese ones heading for western markets, propably have a lot to do with it, since they can't afford "getting caught" using pirated software, even in China. Of course, the government has taken some actions against piracy, but at the "street level", piracy is still running rampant, i'd guess.

Well seeing as AMD owns ATI, that must give them some credit.

Edit: Ugh... cough medicine...

YES

(I love Civ IV)