H.Wai:
Lets make a distinction here, perhaps things will be clearer.
Intel does not necessary compete with SUN directly since Intel
generate revenue from selling microprocessors and SUN make money from
sellings workstations and servers among other things. Just
because Intel produce microprocessor it does mean that they
have the technology to make workstations and servers.
To make a server is not like making a PC. When some CEO tells
you that they will "bring PC scale of economy to server".
They actully don't know what they are talking about.
Unlike PCs, in server, the most expensive part of the machine
is often not the microprocessor. The components required for
the systems are much more expensive. That is why you see
very little price differentiation between equivalent PC and
UNIX servers. The software required to run those servers
are equivalently more expensive. Multi-user network NT
per user is actually more expensive than SUN Solaris in some
cases.
To answer your question directly, Xeon is still a low to mid end
microproessor. It is still a 32 bit microprocessor that
uses winNT. It still only scale up to 8 (if that). When
Merced comes out, it may compete in the mid or high range.
But that remains to be seen, you won't really see the result
for another 5 years. New chips are always pretty buggy.
There are no softwares to run on Merced.
Remeber SUN is not standing still. They just proved that
they can make superior workstations in the price range of
PCs. Who knows what they will do next?
- Chung
>>>
Chung Yang,
I am not saying Sun's hardware business is not good this quarter. I think Sun does
very well in the Starfire, Enterprise 450, low end storage products and low end
workstations. However, the introduction of the Xeon processor competes with
Enterprise 450 and the low end workstation market. The Merced competes with Sun's
higher end server market. It's good for Sun investor to see Intel delaying the
introduction of the Merced. However, in long terms, Intel competes with Sun in the
server and workstation market.
I am not talking about the current quarter, I am talking about in the near future.
Regards,
H.Wai
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