Intel Merced delayed until mid-2000

In a surprising move given the amount of time involved, Intel announcedthis week that it was delaying the introduction of its upcoming 64-bit "Merced" IA-64 microprocessor from mid-1999 to mid-2000 because of "processmanagement issues". That could be Intel-speak for technical problems, butthe company began warning hardware manufacturers of the delay so that theycould plan ahead. Picking up the slack for Merced will be Intel's last32-bit chipsets, code-named "Willamette" and "Tanner". Tanner is particularly interesting because it is a 32-bit processor that fits intoMerced's so-called "Slot M" motherboard slot. The Tanner is expected toeventually surpass and replace the Pentium II Xeon family, which goes onsale this summer.

One has to wonder what affect this delay will have on software companieslooking to target the new chip. Microsoft is hard at work on a 64-bitversion of Windows NT 5.0, for example, but that OS' delays are legendaryanyway. Digital (Digital UNIX), Sun (Solaris for Merced), and othercompanies are all working on Merced operating systems and applications aswell