Re: Itanium versus Others

Robert Myers wrote:

The list I love to hate, the "Top" 500, does not support your
prejudices--unless you think machines on that list are for short term
('niche') applications.

I think they are: you buy one supercomputer and adapt your software to it. The next supercomputer will be a different model. So if you get the Itanium cache for free, by all means get it.

To build a long term strategy on it is follish from a business point of view. If Itanium were to dominate, the PC will be back to '50 % of the cost goes to the CPU' pretty soon - just because customers have no choice where to buy their compatible part.

AMD and Intel do very well together to keep prices low. VIA is not that important (low end) but is a possible third supplier.

IMO Itanium was set up to become a single source chip. Which explains why one can buy a 9 MB cache rather affordably - not because it is cheap to make, but because it has to be sold in volume.

It's true: Intel Xeon dominates the list, with
placements in 254 systems.  One of the possible "second
sources"--Opteron--accounts for 25 of the systems, as opposed to 77
systems for Power processors, 36 for PA-RISC and 79 for Itanium.  There
are no Via processors on that list, and I'd be interested to hear if
they are anywhere in use for HPC applications.

I wouldn't want to create the next Apply using Itanium. Just too big a chance to send all your profits to a single supplier.

If you bought Xeon and were gouged, you could switch rather more easily.


Thomas
.

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