Intel: Dual-core Xeon at IDF

Santa Clara (CA) - Intel will follow AMD and demonstrate its first dual-core processor on September 7 during the opening day keynote of this year's IDF Fall. The company hopes that "multi-core" processors will open a new performance chapter for processors and enable the use of next-generation applications.

The announcement was made during pre-briefings for the Intel Developer Forum, the company held for the press early this week. Frank Spindler, vice president of Intel's corporate technology group and director of industry technology programs, and Pat Gelsinger, Intel's chief technology officer, said that it will be the firm's first public demonstration of its multi-core technology.

In contrast to AMD's terminology, Gelsinger pointed out that Intel prefers to call the approach "multi-core" or "many-core". "Obviously, servers will have more cores than mobile processors," Gelsinger said. Intel's top technology officer believes that the firm's Hyper-Threading technology will pay off with the growing popularity of multi-core processors, especially within a discussion, how many threads Hyper-Threading will support in the future.

"Multi-cores will enable tomorrow's applications," Gelsinger said. "This means more performance, less waiting and faster response. We are talking about entirely new applications, we don't have today." Gelsinger did not say which applications Intel has in mind.

The demonstration of the technology will show a dual-core Xeon-processor which will be commercially available in 2005, according to Frank Spindler. Gelsinger and Spindler declined to provide details on multi-cores for the desktop and mobile segment. AMD announced Tuesday the first demonstration of dual-core Opteron processors, manufactured on 90nm silicon-on-insulator process technology.

Besides the traditional processor demonstration, the IDF Fall goes into its eight year and promises technology updates and announcements in virtually every major field Intel takes part. Wireless broadband technologies, especially the firm's WiMAX activities will take up much space, outlining products and time lines for making the technology available.

Other areas of interest will be Intel's security technology LaGrande with demonstrations of products, virtualization technologies code-named Vanderpool and Silverdale, updates on the firms idea how the future digital office will look like, advancements of battery life in mobile computers, a demonstration of a new platform for the management of networks, data storage technologies for handhelds, as well as updates on Ultra-Wideband and Wireless USB. Intel also said that a new Serial ATA storage industry group will make its debut at the IDF.

Spindler expects about 5500 attendees from 40 countries to visit the event which will be held from September 7 to 9 at the Moscone Center South in San Francisco.