Intel co-founder Gordon Moore retires from Board

Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, 72, retired from Intel's Board of Directors

after 33 years of service in the firm that he co-founded and helped turn into

the world's pre-eminent chipmaker.

Moore's retirement came at Intel's annual shareholders’ meeting in Santa

Clara. The retirement was forced by Intel's long-established policy that

directors step down at the age of 72. Former Federal Communications chairman

Reed Hundt is set to fill up Moore's position.

Moore co-founded Intel in 1968 with the late Robert Noyce, after the two quit

Fairchild Semiconductor. Moore will be remembered for both co-founding Intel and

for Moore's law, which states that chipmakers will double the number of

transistors on a chip, and therewith the chip's power, every 18-24 months.

Ironically, Moore made the prediction in 1968 when he was still at Fairchild.

Moore said the law would hold true for another decade or two. But it will end

some day. "No exponential ever goes on forever without some kind of

disaster happening at the end. Sure it has a limit. Materials are made of atoms

and we're not too far from where that starts to bite us.''

Moore said he intends to remain active as a consultant at Intel, a role he

has played since giving up the chairmanship title in 1997. "I would miss it

if I really backed away. This business is really exciting. It changes so fast.

If the alternative is staying home and taking out the garbage, I want to stay

close to the industry.''

Moore also said that the current economic downturn that has hammered Intel

would not last forever. But, he added, no two downturns are alike. "You've

got to be careful that you're not like the generals who plan to fight the last

war. You've got to look at what the characteristics are. I don't know how this

one will play out.''