HP drops Itanium in desktop workstations
Yup, it's one more setback for Itanium.
It could be argued that this is not a major setback, since the desktop workstation market is small and shrinking anyway. In fact, this is Intel's basic line of argument. However, Itanium's market has been small and shrinking, so any setback is relatively large even if it involves a small number of units in absolute terms. Itanium doesn't have that much to lose.
My favorite quote:
My, how their expectations have narrowed. Was it so long ago that IA64 was going to replace x86 altogether?
It could be argued that this is not a major setback, since the desktop workstation market is small and shrinking anyway. In fact, this is Intel's basic line of argument. However, Itanium's market has been small and shrinking, so any setback is relatively large even if it involves a small number of units in absolute terms. Itanium doesn't have that much to lose.
My favorite quote:
Quote:
Intel spokesman Robert Manetta played down the impact of the decision, the [Wall Street Journal] said.
"The workstation market has never really been a major focus for Itanium," it quoted him as saying. "We continue full speed ahead on the server side."
Intel spokesman Robert Manetta played down the impact of the decision, the [Wall Street Journal] said.
"The workstation market has never really been a major focus for Itanium," it quoted him as saying. "We continue full speed ahead on the server side."
My, how their expectations have narrowed. Was it so long ago that IA64 was going to replace x86 altogether?
Comments
That's spin doctoring at its finest from Intel. Indeed Intel initially promoted the IA64 architecture as the eventual successor to IA32 but I think the die was cast years ago and Intel just won't let Itanic die for fear of embarassment.
Intel started making low cost CPUs and has done VERY well but it's one thing to sell a bunch of commodity chips and quite another to take on the likes of IBM's POWER chips and expect to "show the old dog some new tricks".
It's actually fun to watch Intel crash and burn every now and then. I respect them as a company but they, like microsft, get a little too much pub when they enter into areas where they are competing with entrenched standards. Both companies enter these markets with fanfare and years later slink out quietly..licking their wounds. Intel is just prolonging the inevitable. Itanium is a dud.