AS/400 on Intel??

[Richard Rosenbluth <rose400@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>  
>         InformationWeek Daily 10/5/99
>         Tue, 5 Oct 1999 01:05:15 -0600
>         InformationWeek <news@daily.informationweek.com>
> 
> 
> - Intel: Itanium It Is, And IBM's On Board
> 
> Intel officials said yesterday they've raised with IBM the possibility of 
> replacing the chip used to power the company's popular AS/400 server 
> line with Intel's forthcoming Itanium processor, which until now has been 
> known by its code-name, Merced. While Intel said that IBM hasn't 
> committed to using Itanium in the AS/400, it has agreed to transition its 
> Pentium-based servers onto the processor beginning next year, when the 
> chip ships. "They're interested, but they haven't made a commitment" on 
> the AS/400, says Ron Curry, director of marketing for Intel's IA-64 
> product group, adding that, "For the Netfinity line, they have."
> 
> Currently, the AS/400 runs on PowerPC chips designed jointly by IBM 
> and Motorola. Intel, however, claims that the 64-bit Itanium chip, which 
> features what the company calls Explicitly Parallel Instruction 
> Computing, will be faster than RISC-based PowerPC chips. IBM officials 
> weren't immediately available for comment. Along with IBM, other 
> companies that have committed to Itanium for at least some of their 
> server offerings include Compaq, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard, according to 
> Intel.
> 
> Intel's comments about IBM were made as the company announced 
> Itanium as the official moniker of the often-delayed 64-bit chip. 
> Explaining the choice, an Intel spokesman says, "There's the obvious 
> association with a very high-tech metal that connotes strength." 
> Samples of Itanium are shipping to developers and Intel's OEM 
> partners, the spokesman says.  - Paul McDougall
> 

Wouldn't this be a step backwards for the 400. Or would they only be
considering it for the very low end?

-- 
Richard Rosenbluth
Rose Information Management Co.
mailto:rose400@pacbell.net
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