Comment by aurareturn
9 days ago
Are we looking at a future where home computers are replaced by thin clients and all the power lies in subscription services?
No if we're in a working free market. Companies will see the rising prices and start making more of those things, bringing prices back down.
How, when foundries are a natural monopoly? How can you realistically create a startup to build a multibillion / multi year fab ?
There are 3 foundries capable: Samsung, Intel, and TSMC. Companies can contract out some to Samsung and Intel. TSMC can (and is) build more fabs.
Same way you can create a startup to build a multibillion dollar data center presumably.
I don't think that laying bricks and operating a crane is on the same level(or universe) of complexity as making and operating high-end semiconductor machines.
Ideally. Companies may also be hesitant to invest in expanding production capacity if they assume this is a bubble though.
Companies are always slow to expand production capacity. It takes time to react to unforeseen shifts in the market - but once it does happen, the scale can be quite huge.
(Who's gonna tell him)
Tell him what? Why don't you start?
The free market as described is imaginary. Large companies due to their size hold a lot of power, and can use a mix of regulatory capture and monopolies to make better ideas financially infeasible to bring to light.