>This really makes me wonder how many more unreleased products Intel has waiting in some drawer somewhere for that case where they have some serious competition.
Given the churn rate of technology? Probably close to none. It's not like you can wait on CPU technology and have it still be relevant when you finally release it.
Except if you mean "potential projects" that still need years, and tons of work and R&D to be finished.
I doubt they have stuff on the shelf for a rainy day, but it's undeniable that competition encourages them to ramp up R&D, invest in new processes and factories sooner, lower prices, and push the envelope on what's releasable. Sticking to 12 or even 16 core products would be a lot safer for Intel's gross margins.
Given the churn rate of technology? Probably close to none. It's not like you can wait on CPU technology and have it still be relevant when you finally release it.
Except if you mean "potential projects" that still need years, and tons of work and R&D to be finished.