blauboad, but it is still bad news if Intel gets into the x86-64 game any way you look at it.
I have to disagree with you on this one.
Intel controls 80+% of the market. If AMD64 takes off, you can't expect them to do nothing while they lose share, at least, not for very long. So the question is, what would you have them do? Going the AMD64++ route would validate AMD64.
You might say, "struggle trying to bring IA64 to the desktop", but I think they realize that would fail.
So the alternative is, invent an AMD64-incompatible 64-bit desktop instruction set. That would certainly be worse in the short term for AMD stock (imagine the stories about AMD64 being "stillborn", "killed", "dead", etc.), and in the long-term, would AMD prevail over Intel? Look at 3D-NOW vs. SSE.
I wouldn't be so pessimistic on the "more or less comparable chips" front. What makes you think Intel can design a competitive AMD64 chip based on performance and power? They're behind right now. And patent-powerhouse IBM would just love to take revenge on Microsoft AND Intel. They make for a good AMD partner.
Doug
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