My guess is that, based on the settlement with microsoft, and this announcement, sunw has decided to get out of the hardware business to the extent that it feels it can out software Microsoft.
This is only good news for intel. Amd ends up blazing the trail for intel to run solaris.
It does of course DEPEND ON THE ability of intel to match amd running 32 bit software on 64 bit extensions.
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Sun reveals availability of new Solaris OS
Over 600 independant vendors
By INQUIRER staff: Thursday 20 May 2004, 16:33
SUN HAS TODAY ANNOUNCED the availability of its new Operating System, branded Solaris on a range of AMD Opteron and Intel Xeon-based systems. Sun has got itself 20 platform partners, such as ASA Computers, Pinnacle Data Systems, Portable one and Tokyo Forex Financial.
The Solaris OS will now run on a variety of servers, workstations, notebooks and "other products," which Sun is hoping will let it extend its reach, and find its way into the OS market.
A bunch of independent software vendors have signed on to support the Solaris x86, including important ones such as BEA, Sybase and Veritas. That brings the ISV count to over 600 vendors. Over 200 supported x86 systems, from both Sun and third party vendors, are now in Sun's hardware compatibility list – the number has doubled in size over the last six months. |
