GREAT IDEAS ARE BORN AT SMALL OUTFITS

"Is Silicon Valley Losing Its Magic?" (Cover Story, Jan. 12) rightly points out a number of conditions that need to change to boost innovation--funding for advanced computer science and electrical engineering research, for instance. But there's another prerequisite. Game-changing ideas have often come from small companies--think Apple or Google in their early days. So to continue as a global leader in innovation, the U.S. must ensure that the technology industry operates in a fair and competitive marketplace through the enforcement of antitrust measures.

Hector Ruiz, Executive Chairman

Advanced Micro Devices

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.