AMD ships 64-bit design guide
Advanced Micro Devices has released its initial software design guide for its 64-bit processor, x86-64, known by the code names "Sledgehammer" or "Hammer." Unlike Intel, AMD has elected to expand on its existing 32-bit x86 design philosophy which has resulted, according to the company, in better backwards compatibility and an easier job for developers. Intel has started from scratch and says that, unencumbered by legacy disadvantages, it is producing a superior product. This is the first time that the two chip competitors have taken separate roads on the x86 architecture and the two companies' futures depend in large part on how OEMs and software engineers judge the divergent design philosophies.
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