Intel's 32/64-bit Plan B

Why a company like Intel would gamble on moving the world to 64-bit technology at the risk of problems running 32-bit code is a head-scratcher. While AMD is pushing 64-bit processors that won't have trouble with legacy code (Hammer/Clawhammer), Intel's Itanium hasn't exactly been setting any sales records. For those doubting Intel's market savvy and ability to shrug off mistakes, the San Jose Mercury News posted a story late last week that alleges that Intel is working on 32/64-bit capabilities and is merely waiting to see if it's what the market calls for before putting it into play. Intel's Yamhill Technology is supposedly being built into the next version of Intel's Pentium chip, with an option to turn the features on or off. In 2003 or 2004, when the Prescott chip is expected to be available, Intel will take a look at AMD's products and the success of the Itanium and then decide whether to activate the Yamhill code. According to the article, in the quarter ended Sept. 30, Gartner Dataquest estimates that Intel shipped about 2,162 Itanium chips, with 2,000 of those going to IBM for two big servers that use 1,000 Itaniums apiece. A "Plan B" might not be such a bad idea.