BAD HARDWARE WEEK

In formal responses to antitrust lawsuits filed by federal and New York authorities, Intel claims government investigators based their allegations on a serious misunderstanding of the microchip industry and the Santa Clara company's internal e-mails.

One of Intel's responses was aimed at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which accused the company in a Dec. 16 suit of engaging in a campaign to discourage computer makers from using microprocessors from Sunnyvale-based Advanced Micro Devices and graphics chips from Nvidia of Santa Clara. Although posted on the FTC's Web site Friday, Intel's document had escaped media attention until the company alerted a reporter to its existence Tuesday.