Merger of Intel and Hewlett-Packard at 64-bit Level Using VLIW Technology

As the leading computer firms continue to advance their processor architectures, Intel and Hewlett-Packard have decided to merge their systems at the 64-bit level using VLIW technology. This advancement will allow for the creation of highly efficient processors that can execute a large number of instructions in a single cycle, far surpassing the capabilities of current 32-bit Risc chips. With this development, Intel and HP aim to bring their processor architecture into the mainstream market, ensuring compatibility with existing systems and making it easier for developers to create software for the new platform.

Key Takeaways:

• The merger between Intel and HP will integrate their processor architectures at the 64-bit level using VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) technology.
• VLIW processors use special compilers to assemble large instructions made up of several 32- or 64-bit instructions, allowing for significantly increased processing power.
• A VLIW chip can execute many more instructions than current 32-bit Risc chips, potentially 5-10 times as many.
• Hewlett-Packard was the first large computer firm to adopt Risc architecture, introducing HP-PA in 1984, while DEC and IBM lagged behind.
• HP's adoption of VLIW technology will be made available to the mass market via Intel, providing a significant boost to the company.
• The new VLIW processor will be binary-compatible with HP-PA chips and will also run x86 software.

Statistics:

• HP doubled its sales in the past five years, while IBM and DEC have seen their sales decline.
• The combined market share of HP and Intel in the processor market is significantly larger than that of IBM.
• The PowerPC processor, owned by IBM, is not considered 'vendor neutral.'
• The proposed merger will result in a loss of 'vendor neutrality' for Intel.

Sources:

• None cited.