Intel Investors - Craig Barrett comments on Merced and Free PCs
Merced Comments:
Intel CEO Says Merced On Track
"We think it gives us a nice new uniform architecture all the way up from the basic desktop on through the workstation and server space," said Barrett. "We are looking forward to it."
Basic Desktop - Merced - maybe AMD will be left out in the "COLD" !
Free PC Comments :
"PCs are becoming more and more ubiquitous and this business of free PCs, where you buy the service and get the hardware for free is not unique in the world," he said. "Cell phone people have been doing that for a long time. As long as it enhances more usage of PCs, I think it is great."
Now...when can we get our first Free Merced PC ?????
Paul
{======================================}
Intel CEO Says Merced On Track
By Steve Burke, Computer Reseller News
Jul 19, 1999 (5:02 PM)
URL: techweb.com
Intel's CEO and president Craig Barrett said he is "very happy with the status of Merced." In an interview with Computer Reseller News in New Orleans at CA World 99, Barrett confirmed Intel will be rolling out Merced chip samples this quarter. Barrett also said Intel previously had moved back the Merced production schedule by six to nine months.
Intel had expected to begin volume production of the 64-bit chip by the end of this year and said it is now looking to deliver the chip by mid-2000.
"We still plan to be in production by the middle of next year," said Barrett.
"We think it gives us a nice new uniform architecture all the way up from the basic desktop on through the workstation and server space," said Barrett. "We are looking forward to it."
Barrett said the technical hurdles with Merced have not been greater than anticipated.
"There's a whole range of things that you have to do" said Barrett. "The silicon is one piece of it. But getting the OS support and the application support are just as important for the end user. A piece of silicon by itself is of no significant use to anyone."
Barrett said Intel has already made initial investments from its $250 million venture capital fund to support software developers porting and tuning applications to Merced.
Barrett said Intel already has eight separate operating systems "up and booting on the Merced simulator."
"We are pretty happy from an OS standpoint," he said. "Now it is just bringing the whole thing together and making sure the market is ready for it."
Barrett said VARs can take advantage of the $250 million venture fund.
"The fund is set for anyone who has a decent business plan," he said. "It is run like a venture fund but it is targeted at porting and tuning applications on IA-64. So anyone can play in that game."
Merced moves Intel up from the 32-bit desktop and server space "to any category you want to play in the high end," he said.
Some industry observers have said they are looking more to Merced's successor, McKinley, for high performance. Intel executives have said McKinley, scheduled in late 2001, will offer twice the performance of Merced and target clock speeds more than 1 GHz.
In a separate matter, Barrett said the free PC trend is "an incredible phenomenon."
"PCs are becoming more and more ubiquitous and this business of free PCs, where you buy the service and get the hardware for free is not unique in the world," he said. "Cell phone people have been doing that for a long time. As long as it enhances more usage of PCs, I think it is great." |
