Joe,
I apologize if my fridge retort seemed to make light of your question regarding the likely ubiquitousness of IB.
IB is being delivered to market as a Server Architecture for servers and server peripherals. Whether it subsequently migrates down the food chain to the Desktop, Laptop, PC Phone, and Net Appliance, is a question that only the realities of commercial necessity and consumer application can answer. Personally, I think we will continue to see PCI(32 bit)/PCI-X (64 bit) in the lower levels for some time to come as there is no compelling business rationale for the IB I/O efficiency in the mass consumer space, except perhaps for the efficiencies in device size IB provides. We are more likely to see products like the 'code morphing' Crusoe being deployed in the consumer space to boost raw processing power.
In all seriousness though, the day will come when processors the size of viruses containing 100 million transistors will beget Swiss Army PC Phones about the size of a wart, with heads-up holographic displays and wearable storage belts. I think IB, or something like it, could find a place in that micro-architecture. Talk about wash and wear fabrics.
Sounds about as far-fetched as a NetFridge, don't it.
Douglas |
