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Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gary Ng who wrote (62578)	8/17/1998 6:08:00 PM
From: Tony Viola	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Gary, Re: "While I don't think big-iron(S/390, CICS) is in danger, RS/6000 may be(gradually replaced by Xeon based machine). Any comment ? I hadn't thought about this premise much before, but it sure looks like a possibility based on the article you URLd. The fact that IBM seems to be pouring so many resources into Netfinity (taking from mainframe and RS/6000 resources), and adding mainframe type features and functions to it, as below, give it a lot of credence: IBM is putting the finishing touches on a long-term road map that will migrate mainframe technologies such as encryption, clustering and scalability to its Netfinity servers. Encryption (security), and scalability (firing back at the UNIX camp) are definite "Glass House/Enterprise" type functions. IBM wouldn't put them into non-mainframe computers unless they were very serious about those computers being important in their long range plans. Clustering is an interconnect strategy that allows building single image machines with very large amounts of MIPS, without all of them being in tightly coupled (SMP) mode, which is expensive. Again, a function that originated in the mainframe that you just don't design into a product unless that product is key to your long range plans. Another part to give Sun lots to worry about, right to the very top of their UNIX/Solaris line (E10000, aka Starfire,) if IBM can pull it off with Windows NT: At that time, IBM will announce a Windows NT-based SP2 switch that will eventually enable up to 1,000 nodes to be connected to a Netfinity server along with plans to migrate its Parallel Sysplex clustering technology to the Netfinity line. Sounds like they may be snubbing Rambus here?: For example, when Intel's Merced processor begins shipping in mid-2000, IBM will release servers with custom chip sets based on copper interconnects, sources said. Copper-based interconnects break memory-capacity barriers and improve performance over today's aluminum interconnects. Interesting stuff. Intel and IBM...you can lov'em or hate'em, but you certainly can't ignore them. Bottom line to me looks like a couple of things: 1. IBM is putting some key differentiators into Netfinity to separate themselves from, get a cut above the Compaq, Dell, etc. crowd. 2. As you said Gary, it may be sayonara RS/6000. Tony