I understand the point that Ben Thompson is making: that a vertically integrated Intel lost out in the mobile revolution because it wouldn't unbundle it's manufacturing from its processor design. But its current crisis (not referring to the CEO's affair) has nothing to do with vertical integration. It has everything to do with Moore's law scaling coming to an end. This gives fabs like TSMC and increasingly SMIC from China the ability to catch up. Unless there is a breakthrough in technology -- molecular transistors or some such, Intel's ability to dominate will end soon.