morcheeba's Journal: Intel introduces 64-bit x86, repositions Itanic

It's official now: Intel announced 64-bit x86 chips, and has repositioned the 64-bit Itanium as a database processor. From the article: "Intel will deliver in the middle of the year Nacona, a 64-bit Pentium 4 Xeon processor geared for two-way servers. Later in the year, it will release a 64-bit version of Prescott for high-end desktops and workstations using a single processor. Next year, Intel will release multiprocessor-capable version of its 64-bit Xeon."
Microsoft's beta version of its 64-bit operating system will support both the new Intel chips and AMD's 64-bit Opteron and Athlon CPUs, though it's not clear if Intel is using the same x86-64 extensions AMD does.