It may be that AMD has been deadlocked and starving for the last few years. It needs cash to do R&D, but people won't be buying because their current R&D isn't enough. If AMD fails to deliver in the next year or two, AMD is finished as a legitimate x86 CPU/APU competitor because it will be too far behind. AMD might not exist by 2016 or be reduced to be like VIA, holding on because of ATI.