That kind of power invites tough scrutiny, as it should. As relentlessly pragmatic as it is competitive, Intel must know that Monday's tentative settlement marked only the conclusion of a narrowly crafted case. It didn't settle the larger issues of Information Age monopolies, much less the overall practices by this industry superpower. Maybe this settlement will cause Intel to tone down some of its most brutal ways. If so, it will be because the company made a choice based on the available data.
Consumers can only hope the settlement had their interests in mind.
Inside Intel today, meanwhile, engineers and strategists will bitterly disagree on a variety of new matters. Then they'll decide, and move on.