Gates: 64-Bit Desktop Computing Will Be Mainstream In Two Years

CRN ^ | 11:38 AM EST Wed., May 05, 2004 | Paula Rooney

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates predicted that 64-bit computing will become mainstream in the PC industry over the next two years because of 32-bit extended technology that preserves customers' existing investments.

"64-bit will be common sense in the next couple of years," Gates said, noting that the high-performance processor engine will take off on workstations and desktops as 64-bit/32-bit capable chipsets supercede stand-alone 32-bit processors in the next couple of years. "It puts us at the very high end of computing, and it will be a smoother transition than those previously."

To that end, Microsoft announced at WinHec 2004 in Seattle that its Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for 64-Bit Extended Systems is scheduled to be released in the fourth quarter.

The Redmond, Wash., software giant also unveiled the release of an enhanced Driver Development Kit for the 64-bit Extended environment that will support Visual Studio.Net 2003 and Microsoft .Net Framework 1.1, which will enable more application development for the 64-bit Extended environment.

Gates said Microsoft will take advantage of processors with "multiple cores" that enable parallel processing on the PC desktop and server. The company will support typical eight-core server processors and two-core desktop processors, Gates said. He also urged ISVs to begin developing applications that exploit the new architectures.

Microsoft's Windows Server 2003 for 64-Bit Extended Systems, now in beta testing, also is scheduled for release during the second half.

Extended is the second 64-bit architecture supported by Microsoft. The Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Extended offerings are based on 64-bit extensions to the x86 instruction set and support both AMD 64 and Xeon processors with 64-bit extension technology.

[CyberCowboy777]

I am aware of the current incarnation, and I am not stating that it has no place in the market (our two largest clients run AS/400's - though I have little to do with them except client connections).

My point is one of cost: iSeries 800 Standard Starting at: $22,436.00

That price is prohibitive to the largest segment of the business market.

[spodefly]

I eagerly await 64 bit computing. I'd even go for 63 bit. I may upgrade when that happens because pages are starting to look funny surfing on this MacIIci with Mosaic 1.0.

[Petronski]

I'm not optimistic about the K9. Based on what I've read, performance wise and in every other way, it's a dog.

[An.American.Expatriate]

When you talk of cost, you must remember that ONE iSeries is capable of of handling almost EVERY business need. How many PC network servers are needed to run a typical business? Web Server, Mail Server, Database Server, Windows Server, etc...

AND, we haven't ever started talking about the support personal needed to keep all those PC Networks running. A typical iSeries can be run by 1 full time administor (okay 2 or 3 due to illness, holidays, etc...)

IBM's argument has always been one of Cost over time and return on investment when discussing the iSeries, not the initial cost of purchase. It has always had a problem selling this argument though - something which a lot of enthusiasts have never been able to understand!

BTW - IBM has just announced the next generation based on "POWER5" technology starting out at $11k

[dennisw]

Good thing about Opterons and 64bit Athlons is they make the Athlon XPs cheaper for me along with the nForce2 motherboards. Just bought two nForce last night from Newegg refurbished for 38$ each. MSI with onboard video.
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-397R&depa=0

[CyberCowboy777]

Windows Gains Market Share, Despite Linux Threat
Wednesday, October 8, 2003, 8:00 PM EDT

Microsoft Corp.'s Windows grabbed a bigger share of the market for server operating systems, despite the widely held perception that open source Linux threatens its dominant position, according to a report released Wednesday by market researcher IDC.

Nevertheless, Windows' share of new license shipments is not expected to go up a "whole lot higher," than the 55.1 percent it held in 2002, compared to 50.5 percent the prior year, IDC analyst Al Gillen said.

http://www.internetweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15201904


Microsoft still rules server OS market
Last modified: October 8, 2003, 7:58 AM PDT

Of the 5.7 million new licenses for server operating systems recorded last year, 99 percent were for Windows, Linux, Unix (11 percent) and Netware (9.9 percent) systems. In the client sector, Windows, Linux, and Apple Computer's Mac OS (2.9 percent) accounted for 99.5 percent of total shipments of 121 million units.

http://news.com.com/2100-7344-5088233.html


May 2004 Web Server Survey Finds 50 Million Sites

Top Developers

Apache 66.99%
Microsoft 21.49%
SunONE 3.34%
Zeus 1.53%

SunONE is the sum of sites running iPlanet-Enterprise, Netscape-Enterprise, Netscape-FastTrack, Netscape-Commerce, Netscape-Communications, Netsite-Commerce & Netsite-Communications.

Microsoft is the sum of sites running Microsoft-Internet-Information-Server, Microsoft-IIS, Microsoft-IIS-W, Microsoft-PWS-95, & Microsoft-PWS.

http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2004/05/03/may_2004_web_server_survey_finds_50_million_sites.html

[relee]

Did everybody forget about the alpha chip that debuted back in the 80's?

Close, but no cigar.

1992.

[CyberCowboy777]

Many small/medium businesses with 1 or 2 Windows servers(s) do not have even 1 full time administrator or have but one.

File/Print/Application/Mail/AntiVirus/Database on one or two boxes.

Medium to Large and it might start making sense.

For a small business a 5k server is a nice option and one often taken.

[ColdSteelTalon]

That may have a lot to do with the fact that the DB2 as implemented on the AS/400 (now iSeries) is extremely easy to use and, unlike Oracle and others, NO DBA is needed.

You said that right, There are only two of us managing 4 production iSeries 400 machines with 20,000 users on them (at the same time). With DB2 we do not have a database administrator, just a few applications people. On the iSeries 400 you don't worry about the database just the application. And its all 64 bit.

And yes we drive front end GUI applications on the web, of course the end-user does not know they are on the iSeries.

Other operating systems crash 4 or five times a year but OS/400 on the iSeries is rock solid. has not crashed in years.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Prices are dropping for sure.

[ColdSteelTalon]

Well the total cost of ownership for iSeries is 20 percent less over five years. See the people selling Unix don't tell you that it takes an Army to support the platform.

When you look at cost of ownership total you have to count people and licensing per head.

[CyberCowboy777]

For a Small Business (without an on staff I.S. group)?

[meatloaf]

The story of my life ... close but no cigar! It was/is a great chip though. Rumor is that HP who ended up with the processor was embarassed that the latest version of the alpha was beating their latest and greatest Itanium.

[ColdSteelTalon]

Sure, iSeries systems come in small packages, I have a unit right here in the lab that can run 100 users on an application well and it is not much bigger than a PC. And it has the identical operating system that the large machines have.

I think we paid about 10,000 for it. That included the software licensing.

[SauronOfMordor]

The present addressable memory limit with IA32 is 4 Gig. Once upon a time, a machine with 1 GB was unheard of; today it's commonplace. We are fast approaching the 4 Gig barrier.

You are confusing physical memory with address space. A Pentium III from 1999 is able to address up to 64 GB of physical memory. It's just that no single application process can have more than 4 GB of virtual address space.

There are lots of applications, particularly in database applications, where you would want to be able to address much more than 4GB, even if you have less than 4GB of physical memory -- namely it would give you the ability to map your entire database into virtual memory.

[Myrddin]

I have a bunch of AMD Athlon boxes around here already. A 1.0 GHz, 1 XP2000 and 1 XP2200. They run hot, but perform fine. MSI released an updated BIOS for my XP2200 based motherboard. It is actually about 2 years since the purchase of the motherboard. I figured that would be a "safe" update. It wasn't. The Windows 2000 box is now unstable. I violated the basic principle: if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Thanks for the feedback on the hyperthreaded CPUs.

[VeniVidiVici]

There are only two of us managing 4 production iSeries 400 machines with 20,000 users on them (at the same time).

What's the application?

I just blew a whopping $1000.00 for an Athlon64 3200 box. I got the $350 chip for free, so I guess it would have cost a whopping $1350.00.

[dvwjr]

Heck, I have a WordStar (CP/M) and Turbo-Pascal v1.0 (CP/M) which runs under CP/M 2.2 that runs on a z-80A emulator which runs in the DOS emulation of Windows XP Professional (SP1). Talk about your back-wards compatibility...


dvwjr

[RagingBull]

Digital's 64-bit Alpha chip was available in 1992.

[ColdSteelTalon]

The application is a large customer service and billing application