Santa Clara-based Intel second quarter profit has jumped up 25 percent because of its strong sales and processors for laptop computers. Intel shares rose 23 cents (1.1 percent) to US$20.94 in after-hours trading. It had risen 24 cents (1.2 percent) to US$20.71 in the regular session before Intel reported its results. I am not surprise to hear that Paul Otellini, Intel CEO, said that the demand for Intel’s chips remains strong in all segments and all parts of all over the world.

Intel net income was US$1.6 billion; it is equal to 28 cents per share, in the three-month period ending June 28. It was 3 cents per share higher than the analysts have surveyed. Intel net profit was a 25 percent jump from the US$1.28 billion (equal to 22 cents per share) that it had earned a year ago.

Intel is profiting from surging global demand for laptops and the processors that power them. Intel has made a faster switch to a new manufacturing process that lowers the cost of making each chip. Moreover, it has been taking market share from Sunnyvale-based AMD in recent quarters with a more robust product lineup.

AMD has racked up more than US$4 billion in losses over the six quarters and is cutting 1,600 workers (10 percent of its global workforce). Meanwhile, Intel has finished the second quarter with fewer than 82,000 employees (20,000 fewer workers than it had two years ago). Intel’s cuts have come from attrition, layoffs and the divestiture of ancillary business.