AMD has finally bidden a grand adieu to its ATI co-branding of graphics cards.
As Scott Wasson of the Tech Report explains, a “major motivator” in AMD’s decision to eliminate the ATI brand is the company’s plans to introduce a new product lineup that combines a CPU and GPU onto a single piece of silicon.
“[For example], the more powerful ‘Llano’ APU, which mates quad Phenom II-class CPU cores with presumably a more capable GPU, is scheduled for the first half of 2011,” wrote Wasson.
“Obviously, the combination of the firm’s CPU and GPU technologies into single-chip products could create some consumer confusion, if folks were to continue to think of AMD and ATI as separate entities.”
Wasson added that AMD was moving to replace “ATI Radeon” and “ATI FirePro” with “Radeon” and “FirePro,” along with a “sprinkling” of AMD corporate identity logos.
“[So], if you just bought an ‘ATI Radeon’ and are proud of that fact, fear not…The first products to carry the ‘AMD Radeon’ label will [only] be introduced later this year.”
Personally, I don’t think AMD’s decision to amputate its co-branding marketing of graphics cards will upset (or affect) anyone but nostalgic and die-hard ATI fanbois.
That being said, it certainly makes perfect sense to consolidate branding names and logos (as with AMD’s successful Vision campaign) to avoid confusing mainstream consumers.
