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04-23-2003, 03:32 PM
An obvious forced move after AMD's Opteron launch yesterday, Intel has announced (http://news.com.com/2100-1006-997936.html?tag=fd_lede2_hed) they are working on an emulator software for Itanium CPUs that will let them run 32-bit applications more effectively than with the hardware implementation already built in the processors.
According to Intel, this new software called the IA-32 Execution Layer and code-named btrans, will give the forthcoming 1.5GHz Itanium 2 the ability to run 32-bit software about as fast as a 1.5GHz Xeon MP, that is, if they meet their target.
There is a small number of successful stories regarding emulators that I can recall, in any case, Intel will continue to push the 64 bit initiative and leaving 32-bit as a secondary part of the Itanium, indeed, Xeons will remain as their preferred choice for 32-bit software while at the same time try to improve one of Itanium's weaknesses.
According to Intel, this new software called the IA-32 Execution Layer and code-named btrans, will give the forthcoming 1.5GHz Itanium 2 the ability to run 32-bit software about as fast as a 1.5GHz Xeon MP, that is, if they meet their target.
There is a small number of successful stories regarding emulators that I can recall, in any case, Intel will continue to push the 64 bit initiative and leaving 32-bit as a secondary part of the Itanium, indeed, Xeons will remain as their preferred choice for 32-bit software while at the same time try to improve one of Itanium's weaknesses.
