WSJ: IBM to Unveil a Powerful Chip for Home-Entertainmnt Mkt

[ultimate_end]

I'm pretty sure we agree if we're talking software vs hardware like in any computing related industry. I was only following your line of reasoning that Itaniums are for servers/workstations and not specifically PCs (personal computers) though you PC can obviously be a workstation or server. The only reason why I brought up Itanium is the fact it's 64-bit and used to illustrate the fact AMD is behind not ahead since Intel has moved to 64-bit many years ago. I didn't say it was cheap nor useful for PCs since PCs don't run 64-bit software like workstations/servers.

Perhaps it is me who is confused over what is being referred to as a PC architecture. If by "PC archtecture" you are referring to the x86 CPU architecture, then maybe Intel is not behind AMD in defining the architecture. Although that is also debated by many, as it is certainly not only the execution unit "bittage" and address range that determines the superior processor (as you will know).

However, I would suggest that neither AMD or Intel actually have much more influence than each other, as they are equal pawns on the Microsoft chess board.

Which leads nicely on to my next post, which will hopefully bring this thread back on topic...

 

[ultimate_end]

I totally agree with whoever said that in the end it's MS who decides what goes inside a PC.
Intel could have a 8921Tflop monster running at 1W, but if MS doesn't want it, it won't be used for anything Windows-compatible (obviously that's a very bad example but you get the idea).

Yes, that was me. It has been said before too. You just summed up one of the big points right there.

Also, although (like most things) the CPUs and overall PC functionality/layout are a product of many influencing forces, If we ask ourselves "why is it that x86 has survived so long?", we might come to the conclusion that it is the backwards compatibility of the operating system and applications (Microsoft ones mostly) that has prevented the PC CPU from evolving very far.

I hate to break it to you all, but current PC technology is retarded.

One of the CELL press releases mentioned that CELL may even form the basis of a Personal Computer.
This may not seem feasible in the current Intel etc dominated world, however if a cell "PC" were to run Windows (and it might), then there may well be a revolution.

It is time for a revolution.

 

[London Geezer]

Well, it remains to be seen how Cell would run Windows. My take is, not very well. But would that be Cell's fault of not being a very good "general purpose CPU" or Window's fault for being the mammoth piece of crap that it is?

 

[Magnum PI]

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that AMD has made 64-bit computing affordable even though there's no need or use for it now

are you sure there is no use for:
doubling the pathetic number of registers of x86 while doubling their size ?
protection from exploits/worms/virus (NX bit) ?
performant encryption ? (encryption algorithms run a lot better on x86_64 code)
a processor that eats less power, and generate less heat ?
scalable multiprocessor ?

silly to sum up oteron improvements over pentium iv/athlon xp to 64 bits adress space. there are a lot of others improvements as well.

because of its many changes beside addressing space, x86_64 allows for more performance on a range of application (at least because registers improvement and because 64 bits application will be tuned for the recent processors not having to run as well on legacy ones like x86 ones), when x86_64 graphics drivers and games will be available it will be a good showcase.. as x86_64 compilers are not as mature as x86 ones we can expect event more performance in the future.