Analysis on IT trends and competitive strategies, with emphasis on micro processors, computer systems and networks. Based on latest news, backed up with real data, this site intends to provide a true and realtime picture of the fast changing IT landscape. This journal strives to be accurate on facts and sharp on criticisms. You may email your opinion to sharikou@yahoo.com or post comments here, be cool and intelligent.
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SUN still got $4 billions of cash, which AMD can put into good use and build two more FABs. SUN has an OS and Java, AMD has x86 everywhere. Both are looking at the enterprise market.... Most importantly, the two share some common values.
posted by Sharikou, Ph. D. @ 1/24/2006 03:51:00 PM
5 Comments:
Not a good idea IMHO. SUNW selling x86 chips and servers will probably annoy a lot of OEMS.
It would never happen of course, but the thought of it is quite amusing !
Sun's marketing - for example - has IMO helped AMD's image a great deal !
..and their recent Opteron server-sales are helping as well it seems !
Although Sparc is no doubt a better architecture than X86, the fact is that End-Customers want - and have wanted for a long time - a standard binary platform - or at least as standard as possible !
The X86 market-share numbers mean that like it or not, X86 is the future... or should I say AMD64 ;-)
The good news IIRC is that AMD is looking into extending the X86 instruction set as well as getting rid of some legacy chains from earlier times (1980's) !
If I were Scott McNealy, I'd do the following :
a) can the Sparc R&D ( I know ... it's a shame and it'll hurt their pride ) and relocate their best Systems-engineers to AMD ( where the best Alpha-CPU designers went ).
b) buy CRAY for pennies ( relatively speaking )
c) concentrate on X86 big-iron - Cray's current models will start the show
d) stop flogging Solaris - and get serious about Linux & Linux support - but don't make it proprietry !
In my humble opinion :
The dominance of X86 has proved that End-Customers "do" want a "standard" - even if it's not the best standard.
Customers do NOT want to live on a small island ( Sparc or Solaris for example ).
IBM promises Linux & support - but still have OS400 and big-iron in the background.
HP offers Linux support - but still continue to sell their Itaniums & Co.
- not very convincing IMO -
Now if someone like Sun decided to go X86 and Linux "Everywhere", now that would convince me to buy a Sun box !
Just my thoughts FWIW.
I think Scott McNealy must regret spending 4 billion on STK. CRAY is indeed much cheaper and better deal. Their XD1 line is good.
I agree !
In fact if Sun did buy CRAY - and also go full blown Linux + support - then I think even IBM would have to worry.
;-)
Sounds interesting but I don't like the idea.
I think that AMD has more value if it doesn't become some big computer company's own propritary processor division.
The industry already view's Sun just like Apple, that is, "propritary", and this would erode confidence for AMD products.
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