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To: Paul Engel who wrote (104974)	6/27/2000 6:29:00 PM
From: Paul Engel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Intel Investors - Sun may be warming up to Intel again ! Perhaps they see the Intel-Linux growth as a REAL THREAT that they need to counteract. Paul {===========================} Sun Microsystems Announces Solaris[SM] Device-Driver Verification Program For The IA Platform Free-of-Charge Service Designed to Increase Hardware Device Options for End Users of Intel-based PCs and Servers PALO ALTO, Calif., June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW) announced that beginning today it will provide the free-of-charge Solaris[SM] Device-Driver Verification Program for the IA platform, created for drivers and devices for Intel-based PCs and servers that run the Solaris[TM] Operating Environment. Sun expects this program to considerably increase the number and quality of drivers and devices for Solaris Operating Environment (Intel Platform Edition) customers. With this service, Sun is continuing to grow and foster the Solaris Operating Environment (Intel Platform Edition) market, which continues to see increasingly strong demand. Total installations reported by users receiving the first month's media kits for Free Solaris were more than 200,000. Most of these installations were for the Solaris Operating Environment (Intel Platform Edition) with almost 131,000 installations completed or planned short-term, indicating the strong demand and growth of this market. The Solaris Driver Verification Service is designed to simplify the process for IHVs to test that their devices will run properly on Intel-based systems by offering test suites and verification for network and storage devices used with Intel machines. From Sun's website, an Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) can download software to self-test their drivers and devices, and then get their self-verification results validated by Sun without going to an independent testing lab and paying subsequent lab fees. "This program is designed to attract vendors of the leading-edge devices that our customers have been asking for," said Andy Ingram, Vice President of Sun Microsystems. "By making it simple for IHVs to bring their peripherals to Solaris Operating Environment customers using Intel systems, and insure the requisite support of those devices, we have reaffirmed our commitment with the Solaris Operating Environment to the Intel market. This market is driven by a growing number of customers who see the Solaris Operating Environment and Intel as an attractive combination." IHVs, with leading market share for their network and storage devices, have already verified one or more products using the technologies that will be utilized by the Solaris Device-Driver Verification Program. All of these IHVs are participating in the beta of the Solaris Device-Driver Verification Program, which is now open to all IHVs. Those companies who have already verified their products for Intel systems, as mentioned above, include: -- Adaptec -- Agilent -- AMI -- Compaq -- IBM -- Intel -- LSI -- Madge.connect -- Mylex/IBM -- Qlogic -- SysKonnect "Sun's Verification Services will enhance our customers' peace of mind," said Paul Miller, Director, Corporate & SMB Marketing at Compaq." This program will reduce installation complexity for those customers deploying the Solaris Operating Environment on Compaq's industry leading ProLiant servers. Sun will provide a listing on Sun's website of all verified third-party hardware contained in the Hardware Compatibility List. A customer will be able to visit the Sun website to determine driver availability, and, given availability, will be able to go to the Solaris Driver Download page and download the driver. While downloading drivers, customers have the opportunity to read about an IHV's other products -- thereby offering the potential for that IHV to win new customers. About Solaris Driver Verification More information about participating in the Solaris Driver Verification can be found on the World Wide Web at soldc.sun.com. Pricing and Availability The Solaris Driver Verification is entirely free-of-charge and is available immediately. About Sun Microsystems, Inc. Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer[TM]" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to dot-com their businesses. With $14.2 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at sun.com. Press announcements and other information about Sun Microsystems are available on the Internet via the World Wide Web using a tool such as Netscape Navigator(TM) or Sun's HotJava(TM) browser. Type sun.com at the URL prompt. Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Solaris, HotJava, and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Netscape Navigator is a trademark or registered trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation in the United States and other countries. SOURCE Sun Microsystems, Inc. /CONTACT: Russell Castronovo of Sun Microsystems, 408-863-3306, russ.castronovo@eng.sun.com; or Kimberly Daniel of Burson-Marsteller, 415-591-4102, kim_daniel@sfo.bm.com, for Sun Microsystems/ (SUNW)

To: Paul Engel who wrote (104974)	6/27/2000 7:37:00 PM
From: pgerassi	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Dear Paul: Prepping is not shipping. Intel snowed them when they annouced IA-64 long ago. So far it is a no ship. No benchmarks, no production, not as fast as promised, not when promised, and as another poster usually stated MIA. Where is the links Paul? What actual benchmarks has it? When will it ship? What speed will it ship at? How much will it be? You can get a Duron 700, a Celeron 700, a PIII at 933MHz, a Thunderbird at 950MHz, a RS/6000 (PowerPC), a PA-RISC 8900, and an Alpha UP2000 at 750MHz. But, no Itaniums. Not even a hint of one. Most software was developed on a simulator no less! It may be that although a program may run on some sample Itanium is some lab somewhere, it does not run fast or Intel would have been trumpeting the results from about everywhere. Just because someone announces something does not make it available. Intel announced the Itanium (Merced) at 800MHz and no one has publically stated that they have seen one. That includes anyone getting a sample from Intel. If you want to show otherwise, do as you ask all others to do, show me the links! I can accredit or discount them when I see them. But until you show me that Itanium (Merced) is a decent revenue producer for Intel, it is simply a dud. It may have been great in 1998, good in 1999, but, it will be, at most, ok in 2000. If it does not come out till 2001, it will be mud. The last great new non x86 processors from Intel were also duds, i432, i860, and i960. They never did amount to much except sometimes as embedded processors (not a big revenue producer by any means). Intel has so far lived on its x86 line. It has yet to come up with a replacement. Intel has yet to come up with a server platform outside the x86 that competes with the established vendors. It has tried 3 times before and failed. With that track record, it is now for it to put up or shut up. BTW the benchmarks are from the users cited. The page is merely a compilation of responses sent. It includes many processor families like 486s, Pentiums, PIIs, PIIIs, Celerons, Xeons, Coppermines, Williamette, Cyrix 686s, Cyrix IIIs, AMD K5, K6, Athlons K75, Alphas (all three generations), SGI (MIPS), HP (PA-RISC), HP (Motorola), and IBM (RS/6000). He started it with the Xeon 550Mhz as the base system. Hardly an AMD only site. If you want to show different, send some verifiable benchmarks in. The source is available off the Tim Wilkin's page as well as some precompiled code for the major platforms listed (If you use other than the precompiled versions, you must state what compiler and the applicable switches used). If it does not get up there, show it here and we can see if it is real or not. Celeron 700 has 8 listings in Pricewatch while Duron 700 has 9 listings available now! I say that the Duron 700 is currently out shipping the Celeron 700. At least the shopping networks are not shy on saying how many were ordered, not so from any retail source. AMD has at least the last announced chips, the 533MHz and 550MHz K6-2+, being sold before they were announced! I have yet to see a single 1GHz PIII on Pricewatch. There are less 933MHz PIIIs listed than 1GHz Athlons and an analyst has stated that Athlons out ship PIII 12 to 1 at 1GHz and 3 to 1 at or above 900MHz. Intel has not refuted that claim. The "Flood" of high MHz Coppermines has failed to show up over 9 months after it was claimed to be coming. Now maybe 100K will show in Q3 (I hardly call that a wetting much less a flood). Pete