Paul, in this Merced article, Barrett is quoted as saying that "You'll have co-existence of 32 and 64 bits for a
decade."
IA32 and IA64 overlapping that long...double the revenue starting next year! Well, not exactly. Still, Merced has to expand Intel's revenue prospects on out a lot. Maybe Sanders isn't as crazy as we make him out to be. If AMD ever gets its WHOLE act together, they might make some profits some day.
eet.com
IDF: Intel demos first Merced silicon
By Alexander Wolfe
EE Times
(08/31/99, 3:24 p.m. EDT)
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. ? Intel Corp. Tuesday demonstrated its
first working samples of Merced silicon. Merced is a 64-bit
microprocessor that is the first implementation of the IA-64
architecture, which was jointly developed by Intel and
Hewlett-Packard Co.
The display came on stage at the Intel Developer's Forum, here,
during the keynote speech by Craig Barrett, the company's president
and CEO.
Barrett showed a workstation-like platform, containing Merced,
running Windows 2000 as well as Linux. (Windows 2000 is the
upcoming version of Windows NT; it was previously referred to as
Windows 5.0. It is not a full 64-bit OS, but rather a hybrid 32/64-bit
offering.)
Significantly, Barrett did not mention the clock speed at which the
Merced sample was running.
"These guys just gave it to me. I'm just happy the thing is up and
running," Barrett said in a question-and-answer session with
reporters.
The device is implemented in 0.18-micron CMOS, but Barrett
wouldn't say when the processor will come to market.
"We want it to come out as a very aggressive forward-looking
product," he said. "It's a server/workstation product."
He added that the processor will not be targeted at the desktop
anytime soon. "You'll have co-existence of 32 and 64 bits for a
decade."
The demo comes a little more than a month after Intel disclosed it
has taped out the microprocessor.
Intel Tuesday also announced that it is speeding the production ramp
of its Pentium III Coppermine microprocessor.
Tony |
