Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[sgolds]

chipguy, sobering maybe but still incorrect -

The bigger issue of whether customers are interested in 64-
bit computing simply because it’s 64-bit remains tough for
AMD to address. We don’t think that 64-bit computing
becomes a significant differentiator on the desktop until
Microsoft ships the Longhorn version of Windows in late
2005 or early 2006. Until then we believe that the
Athlon64 will compete with Intel on the basis of its merits
as a 32-bit processor, nothing more.

What Osha seems to forget:

1. WindowsXP and Windows Server 2003 are being updated with 64-bit support this year;

2. Longhorn will undoubtably follow the great Microsoft tradition of being years late - expect it as the decade sets.

The combination of these two factors is that there will be 64-bit OS support soon, and that version will persist for several years. Even though the OS is likely to have both 64-bit and 32-bit internals it will still support 64-bit applications and drivers. The public will not care that it was not designed for 64-bits from scratch, that is an engineering consideration - not a sales consideration.

Remember Windows 3.0? A 32-bit graphics shell on top of DOS. Sold like hot cakes!