Replies to post #16250 on Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[dougSF30]

Techman,

it appears a lot of people expect Intel and Microsoft to drop a bomb on AMD64 in the next few months if not sooner.

How do you reach that conclusion?

We won't even see Prescott for a few months, and it seems it will be Tejas before any Yamhill extensions are active.

And today's gossip implied Yamhill is AMD64-compatible. That would be an endorsement, not a bombing. Perhaps you meant to say, "drop a bomb on Itanium" instead?

Doug

[UpNDown]

Techman, re: Intel & Microsoft skewering AMD

With all this 64 bit talk and hanging on Microsofts every word, it appears a lot of people expect Intel and Microsoft to drop a bomb on AMD64 in the next few months if not sooner.

Now, IBM wouldn't be too happy with that would they? IBM's e325 customers are expecting Windows XP 64 for AMD64 and IBM will not be happy if it is delayed unreasonably.

Linux is already available and running well on 1 to 8P Opteron systems, not to mention being slotted for all those clustered supercomputers. Don't you think Microsoft wants to compete in the 1-8P Opteron market?

Sun is converting Solaris (10, I believe) for AMD64. You don't think that Microsoft is concerned that once Sun no longer has Sparc as an albatross around its neck it will be a fierce competitor in the lower-price segment of the server market that Windows has been able to crack? Wouldn't you want your servers running under Solaris rather than patch-a-day Windows?

Of course Oracle and IBM will wait as long as necessary for Microsoft to produce Windows Server versions so their database systems can run on a Windows box. Or perhaps they don't care and would just as soon sell the DB on a Linux box?

No, Microsoft has more than enough reasons to be going full speed ahead on AMD64 support.

Edit: I even forgot to mention Apple. How sweet it would be for them to bring out their 64-bit operating system before Microsoft's. Bill would love that!