Intel has started shipping prototype computers with the Itanium processor, allowing hardware and software makers to begin their product design and debugging cycles.

Intel has thousands of the prototype chips in stock and plans to ship hundreds of systems containing the processors by year's end.

The Itanium, Intel's first 64-bit processor, will compete against high-powered processors such as Sun's UltraSparc III.

Intel is also working on a new Itanium chipset, called the 460GX. The chipset will come in two configurations, one for two-processor Itanium workstations and one for four-processor servers.

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