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64bit to debut for Tejas, not prescott
- Thread starter rayman2k2
- Start date
Well Intel has to do something. I like this story from the Inquirer, especially this part
"What's more, Intel is stuck with using AMD's design because so much has already been done for it. Microsoft has an AMD64 version of Windows well into beta and it's not likely to take any lip from Intel about slightly different versions - Microsoft needs this version of Windows to be thoroughly beta tested by thousands of users before it is released and they can only do that on AMD processors so Intel will have to toe the line. Then there is all of the AMD64 work done on Linux, Intel wouldn't be too popular if it caused a whole lot of rework. Essentially, Intel has to produce something that is fully AMD64 compatible or it will be making the biggest marketing blunder in its history."
"What's more, Intel is stuck with using AMD's design because so much has already been done for it. Microsoft has an AMD64 version of Windows well into beta and it's not likely to take any lip from Intel about slightly different versions - Microsoft needs this version of Windows to be thoroughly beta tested by thousands of users before it is released and they can only do that on AMD processors so Intel will have to toe the line. Then there is all of the AMD64 work done on Linux, Intel wouldn't be too popular if it caused a whole lot of rework. Essentially, Intel has to produce something that is fully AMD64 compatible or it will be making the biggest marketing blunder in its history."
JetUsafMech
Gawd
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2001
- Messages
- 724
Well there's pretty much zero chance of 64-bit happening with Socket 478, seeing as how the chip would need extra address lines to address more memory. Basically you need 32 pins to address 32 bits of memory (maybe more including electrical grounding and other considerations), so you need 64 to address 64 bits, and Socket 478 is only setup for 32-bit/32-pins. Although I believe AMD is only doing 48 for the time being, so maybe Intel will do something similar. Nobody could physically host a full 64 bits of memory anyway, as that would be about 16 billion of the 1GB sticks of memory 
Seeing how Intel has their own farm of computers that they use for stability testing with all sorts of software and hardware setups, it's not like Microsoft would have to rely solely on the public to beta test the OS.
As for Linux, Intel has invested a lot of time and money into Linux and the Linux community knows this. I doubt they would give them any lip about having to redo the kernel. In fact I'm sure for the most part they would welcome it, seeing as how Intel is 80% of the computer market.
So to sum up, the Inquirer is the stupidest place on the planet and it's surprising that people still quote them trying to support a point they're making (unless that point is to show the newest nominee for the biggest douche in the universe).