CEO of the last remaining U.S. micro chip competitor dies in accident.

[dixiegrrrrl]

"Steven R. Appleton, chairman and chief executive of Micron Technology Inc. and one of the most prominent figures in the semiconductor industry, died Friday when the high-performance airplane he was piloting crashed at Boise, Idaho's airport.

The death of the 51-year-old stunned Micron, the well-known maker of memory chips based in the same city, and comes at a time of rapid change for the company and its industry. "


snip:
Micron is the last remaining U.S. competitor in an industry that American companies once dominated, showing a knack for endurance that earned Mr. Appleton the semiconductor industry's highest award in November."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203889904577201221448742942.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read
FEBRUARY 4, 2012

[aquart]

1. So, not just a death but a disaster.

[Initech]

2. Micron owns Crucial - one of the best memory/SSD makers in the industry. RIP.