Eindelijk is de veel vertraagde Merced van Intel klaar. Ze beginnen binnenkort met de productie, meldt CNET. Het nieuwsbericht staat hier.
Merced is the first in a new line of high-performance microprocessors that Intel hopes will carry it from making chips for mainstream PCs and servers to the lucrative world of providing silicon to manufacturers of huge, heavy-duty servers and minicomputers. Merced and its successors will compete more directly with chips such as the UltraSparc from Sun Microsystems and the Alpha from Compaq Computer.The crucial design development that Intel announced today is known in the industry as a "tape-out," meaning that a chip's design has been completed and sent to the factory. Next in the development stage is "first silicon," also known as first prototypes. Samples are then sent to customers so they can begin developing products around the new chips.
"It [Merced] has taped out and remains on schedule to sample later this quarter," said Paul Otellini, general manager of Intel architecture business group, in a conference call today. Computer manufacturers will get samples this quarter, he said.
So far Merced has won the support of the biggest computer manufacturers. However, it suffered a six-month delay last year, and analysts have said the chip has again recently slipped past internal Intel schedules.
Ach ja, beter laat dan nooit 
