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Intel Delays Dual-Core Processor, Plans New Server Chip

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the one-step-forward-two-steps-back dept.

Kajakske writes "Intel said Thursday that it is pushing back the release of its first dual-core processor by a year to 2005 and adding a new microprocessor for servers to its Itanium II lineup. On the other hand, Intel is moving forward in the area of new technologies."

8 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Not much competition ? by CountBrass · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Interesting, especially given the lack-luster products produced by Motorola and the relative lack of success of AMD (I use an XP1800+ and think its great, the company just doesn't seem to do too well.) I wonder if this lack of competition is a major factor - Intel doesn't need to keep spending money researching new chips if it's current generation are so far ahead of its competitors.

    I also wonder if the economy is a factor compounding that - ok you can research your way into new demand but why bother when you're that far ahead (see above) ?

    All I can say is, hurry up IBM and get those new PPC chips out the door (and into my Mac ;-).

    --
    Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
    1. Re:Not much competition ? by nehril · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I think they will continue to spend just as much money on research. they just wont *release* new tech unless competition forces them to.

      they may have the technology right now that doubles or triples current performance, but why play that card now? keep the tech in reserve, and let it roll out at a "natural" moore's law rate in order to keep the investors happy.

      if motorola should happen to shock the world and release a 4 ghz multicore G5 running with 800mhz DDR RAM (we can dream, can't we??), then intel can roll out whatever they have in reserve a bit earlier.

      Remember, Intel is run by businessmen, for businessmen. Technology to them is only a means to generate cash.

    2. Re:Not much competition ? by Kourino · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Remember, Intel is run by businessmen, for businessmen. Technology to them is only a means to generate cash.

      Sigh. I suspect that's exactly it. And that's what pisses me off.

      Because, as a paying customer, technology to me is a whole hell of a lot more than a way to generate cash. It's a way to do interesting things, and also an end of its own, in a way - exploring the technology is really fun. Anyone remember sitting down with 16/32-bit assemblers and triple-faulting your processor until you got "protected mode" down?

      I haven't had that much fun directly with a CPU in years. When I get time to play with my EV56 machine, I'll have some of it again; it'll be my first architecture after IA-32 (I haven't done that much interesting low-level on IA-64 besides performance counters).

      And ... waxing philosophical here, so feel free to ignore the rest of this comment. But someone in a different thread recently (don't remember which ... ) commented on the mishandling of the Alpha IP by Compaq, then HP, then its more or less non-use by Intel. And basically said "these people are keeping the market down with their competition, and limiting our future technological growth as a society." I'm not sure how accurate or fair that is (I suspect I'm just getting bitchy now) ... but it's really fscking creepy to think about.

      Although really, this is partially because DEC couldn't market the Alpha to save its life. In fact, it didn't.

  2. When will they target *ME*? by pla · · Score: 4, Interesting

    At first, it bummed me out to read this headline, since I would *love* such a toy.

    Then, following the link, I realized they only plan this dual core toy for the *Itanium* line, anyway. Bummer. I do like how the article says Intel hasn't sold as many of them as they planned, though... Can we say "DOA"? I thought they had all but abandoned the mega-flop (in the movie sense, not the CPU sense) Itanium.

    Anyway, back to my point...

    I don't want a CPU with 6MB of cache (the reason they give for pushing back their SMP-on-a-chip). I don't want an Itanium. I don't even want a P4.

    I would *run* to the store, however, to buy a quad (since at their current fabs, they could fit four in the same space as a single P4, so why only go dual) P-III somewhere around 1.5Ghz (like the chip they plan to release with 6 or 9MB of cache). Not an inconsiderable amount of CPU power (My current machine has "only" a dual PIII/933, and I have yet to find my "killer app" reason to upgrade).

    So, listen up, Intel - the server market may pay more per chip, but we "mere" home users buy a HELL of a lot more of them. So throw us a bone, 'kay?

    Because if you don't, AMD will (eventually). ;-)

  3. My uninformed opinion... by iNub · · Score: 5, Interesting

    With a P4 killer on the way from IBM, who already has a 90nm/300mm plant in operation, I've been expecting Intel to announce that they have smaller, more efficient processes already in operation. But, what's this? Intel is *behind* IBM in the chip fabbing technology? This might bode well for my next Apple purchase. (Assuming my jobless, broke ass finds a job by the time Apple moves to this new CPU.)

    Obviously, I don't keep up with this part of the computer world. Is IBM normally ahead of the game when it comes to new chip processes? It seems to me like Intel, whose main priority is processor manufacture and distribution, would be ahead of IBM, who have diversified to the point that I don't even know what their primary product is.

    --
    "The image is a dream. The beauty is real. Can you see the difference?" -- Richard Bach, Illusions
  4. Is it good for the customer ? by watzinaneihm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think HP and Intel are putting all bets on their child Itanium.
    First HP holds back on their alpha line, then Intel does this....
    The important question is, Is it good for the consumer by letting others into the market (lesser competition, flatter market etc.) or does it harm him by slowing down technology?

    --
    .ACMD setaloiv siht gnidaeR
  5. How does hyperthreading differ? by dmeranda · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How does Intel's Hyperthreading Technology differ from the dual core? I realize the obvious, such as one in in the Pentium line and the other in the Itanium, and the physical differences of packaging.

    But how how different will the architecture of a dual-die chip differ from hyperthreading, such as which CPU components will be shared (like cache, instruction decode/scheduler, etc.)?

    Also would the Linux kernel's logical processor abstraction used to enable hyperthreading support (see IBM developerWorks Article) also continue to work effectively with a dual-die chip?

  6. Intel is NOT pushing back anything by javatips · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Humm, seems that the editor got it wrong...

    From CNet News they are actually going to release it FASTER that the previous schedule.

    The double core itanium deadline is now 2005 instead of 2007 and adding a new chip for 2004.

    Maybe the confusion arise fromthe fact that "Originally, Montecito, due in 2004, wasn't a dual-core chip, but it was morphed after engineering and manufacturing teams concurred that a dual-processor chip could be mass-manufactured at Intel by 2005."

    It would be a good idea to change the headline!