Sun x86-64 plans a real mess

IT'S NO WONDER that the press is having trouble interpreting Sun's plans, even the company itself doesn't seem to know what they are. A few short days ago John Loiacono, Sun VP of Operating Platforms Group, said that the firm would use Opteron eventually. Now Neil Knox, Executive VP of Volume Systems Products, says "no."

At the moment, Sun seems to not have any internal policy as to what is going on in the world of x86-64. Knox is put on the record during a Q&A session with Network World. He flatly denied that the company was even looking at Opteron. We know that's rubbish because several other execs have owned up to not just looking but actively playing with systems based on the chip.

It's about time that the Sun leadership put some effort in. Here's a hint. The Opteron is launched in a week and a day, Sun needs to sort out a standard line by then and publicise it. Unless that's done, Sun will continue to look as though it doesn't know its gluteus maximus from its capitellum. µ

Also see
Sun and Opteron sitting in a tree

L'INQS
Network World Q&A