AMD Ships 500 Millionth x86 Processor

Just a day after AMD recorded a rather lackluster quarter, the company has found a reason to smile anyway. Today, the company shipped its 500 millionth x86 processor, which is absolutely a milestone to celebrate. In fact, the company just turned 40, so having this happen right around its 40th birthday is just icing on the cake.

Currently, Advanced Micro Devices is still playing second-fiddle to Intel in the mainstream market, but the company's on-time delivery of its Istanbul chips and the newfound surge provided by its Neo platform and new Athlon II processors gives us reason to believe that the tide is turning. AMD has been getting increasingly better about meeting shipping estimates, and if it can land a few significant OEM partnerships with Dell, HP, etc., we suspect the next 500 million will be here before you know it.

To reward the loyal customers who helped AMD reach this milestone, the company is giving back to its fans by offering the chance to win four HP Pavilion dv2z notebooks, based on AMD's pioneering platform for ultrathin notebooks. The details are as follows:

• Follow AMD on Twitter (@AMD_Unprocessed), where a new question will be posted every other Monday beginning July 27.
•  Send AMD the answer via a direct message to AMD's twitter handle @AMD_Unprocessed.
• All eligible respondents will be entered into a drawing for an HP dv2z Notebook.
• AMD will give away four AMD processor-based HP Pavilion dv2z notebooks over eight weeks, so fans have ample opportunities to show off their extensive knowledge about the company.
• Full rules and details can be found at www.amd.com/40years.*