AMD didn't 'steal' a64 technology, they made their own 64 bit extensions, and the execution core is based on the AthlonXP. Intel and AMD have an agreement to SHARE technology, though AMD is using intel SSE3 on the a64, intel is using AMD 64 bit extensions on the Prescott 64 .
intel still makes great chips, look at the Pentium M ! its just that they are too stupid to admit that they are wrong, drop the prescott core and go back to something more effecient .