AMD/Linux vs Intel/Microsoft

Hello

You can't help to notice the significant change in hardware and software at
the moment. A somewhat interesting scenerio is playing out.

AMD has its x86-64 architecture, which can run 32-bit applications rather
well, and promises to be able to run 64 bit applications, when they come
out, even better. They have forced Intel to play there hand, and now Intel
must follow AMD's lead.

Although Intel currently has there own IA-64 architecture, this is aimed at
the server market, and from what I have read, if Intel wants to go 64 bit,
Microsoft wants Intel to get a license to implement AMD x86-64
architecture. But Intel also has Hyperthreading in there Xeon and Pentium 4
lines, and will have a more improved version in the Prescott
core, which may help in multitasking. But like AMD's 64 bit solution, don't
individual applications need to be written and compiled with the new
optimizations in mind, in order to gain any benefit?

This is where it gets interesting. Why doesn't Microsoft have an x86-64
version ready of Windows XP? Will Linux companies pick up the slack, and
ban together with AMD to take some of the Windows and Intel market share?
There are already 64-bit Linux distributions ready. Will open source
applications be optimized for AMD x86-64? Will proprietary vendors of
multimedia and photo editing software, optimize there applications for AMD
x86-64 and port them to Linux? We can only hope.

E