i have a case

The Intel Pentium Chip In late 1994, the media began to report that there was a fl aw in the new Pentium microprocessor produced by Intel. The microprocessor is the heart of a personal computer and controls all of the operations and calculations that take place. A fl aw in the Pentium was especially signifi cant, since it was the microprocessor used in 80% of the personal computers produced in the world at that time.

Chapter 2 Professionalism and Codes of Ethics 29 Apparently, fl aws in a complicated integrated circuit such as the Pentium, which at the time contained over one million transistors, are common. However, most of the fl aws are undetectable by the user and dont affect the operation of the computer. Many of these fl aws are easily compensated for through software. The

fl aw that came to light in 1994 was different: It was detectable by the user. This par- ticular fl aw was in the fl oating-point unit (FPU) and caused a wrong answer when

double-precision arithmetic, a very common operation, was performed.

A standard test was widely published to determine whether a users micropro- cessor was fl awed. Using spreadsheet software, the user was to take the number

4,195,835, multiply it by 3,145,727, and then divide that result by 3,145,727. As we all know from elementary math, when a number is multiplied and then divided by the same number, the result should be the original number. In this example, the

result should be 4,195,835. However, with the fl awed FPU, the result of this calcula- tion was 4,195,579 [ Infoworld, 1994]. Depending on the application, this six- thousandths-of-a-percent error might be very signifi cant.

At fi rst, Intels response to these reports was to deny that there was any problem with the chip. When it became clear that this assertion was not accurate, Intel switched its policy and stated that although there was indeed a defect in the chip, it was insignifi cant and the vast majority of users would never even notice it. The chip would be replaced for free only for users who could demonstrate that they needed an unfl awed version of the chip [ Infoworld, 1994]. There is some logic to this policy from Intels point of view, since over two million computers had already been sold with the defective chip. Of course, this approach didnt satisfy most Pentium owners. After all, how can you predict whether you will have a future application where this fl aw might be signifi cant? IBM, a major Pentium user, canceled the sales of all IBM computers containing the fl awed chip. Finally, after much negative publicity in the popular personal computer literature and an outcry from Pentium users, Intel agreed to replace the fl awed chip with an unfl awed version for any customer who asked to have it replaced. It should be noted that long before news of the fl aw surfaced in the popular press, Intel was aware of the problem and had already corrected it on subsequent versions. It did, however, continue to sell the fl awed version and, based on its early insistence that the fl aw did not present a signifi cant problem to users, seemingly planned to do so until the new version was available and the stocks of the fl awed one were exhausted. Eventually, the damage caused by this case was fi xed as the

media reports of the problem died down and as customers were able to get unf- lawed chips into their computers. Ultimately, Intel had a write-off of 475 million

dollars to solve this problem.

What did Intel learn from this experience? The early designs for new chips con- tinue to have fl aws, and sometimes these fl aws are not detected until the product is

already in use by consumers. However, Intels approach to these problems has

changed. It now seems to feel that problems need to be fi xed immediately. In addi- tion, the decision is now based on the consumers perception of the signifi cance of

the fl aw, rather than on Intels opinion of its signifi cance. Indeed, similar fl aws were found in 1997 in the early versions of the Pentium II and Pentium Pro processors. This time, Intel immediately confi rmed that the fl aw existed and offered customers software that would correct it. Other companies also

seem to have benefi ted from Intels experience. For example, Intuit, a leading man- ufacturer of tax preparation and fi nancial software, called a news conference in

March of 1995 to apologize for fl aws in its TurboTax software that had become

apparent earlier in that year. In addition to the apology, they offered consumers replacements for the defective software.

Question:

Use one of the engineering codes of ethics to analyze this case. Pay special attention to issues of accurate representation of engineered products and to safety issues.