Detail Seekers to Descend on IDF

Electronic News, August 20, 2001 by Tom Murphy

3GIO, McKinley, Banias headline code-name party at biannual event

When Intel Corp. hosts its biannual developer forum, people from all over the planet converge to find out everything they can about the company's upcoming technology releases.

The next chance for Intel (nasdaq: INTC) watchers to dig into the details will be at the IntelDeveloper Forum (IDF) Aug. 27 through Aug. 30 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. And while Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel keeps many of its showstopping secrets close to the vest until showtime, the company did reveal that it will unveil both a 2GHz and a 1.9GHz version of its Pentium 4 processor.

"Clearly, the 2GHz processor is a magic number for us," said Anand Chandrasekher, a vice president in Intel's Architecture Group. "The 1.9GHz processor will allow us to fill out our product stack as we get them into systems in the $800 range. We've been getting great yields on our process technology which allows us to offer both these products."

Expectations are high that Intel will also reveal more details on 3GIO, the successor to the PCI I/O standard.

"As far as 3GIO, I expect to know a whole lot more at IDF," said Nathan Brookwood, an analyst for Insight 64 in Saratoga, Calif. "There are a whole lot of details that need to be filled in since the (PCI special interest group) selected 3GIO as the next standard."

Intel is also expected to provide a glimpse of the second-generation 64-bit Itanium processor, code-named McKinley, and at least some details on its next-generation mobile processor, codenamed Banias.

Brookwood said that McKinley is the 64-bit processor from Intel that most developers have been waiting for. The Merced, the code-name for the Itanium currently on the market, is not the high-performance computing part that McKinley is supposed to be. While Intel preannounced many details about the Merced, it has been comparatively tight-lipped about the McKinley, Brookwood said. The McKinley is scheduled for release in 2002.

Intel will have a number of PC system vendors on hand displaying products based on the 2GHz P4 as well as a number of software vendors to display the processor's power as it runs their programs, an Intel spokesman said.

As the company adds more emphasis to its P4 line, one of the top questions for the IDF is what the future holds for Intel's Pentium III processor. Intel has scheduled no discussion on that topic, an Intel spokesman said, but the sentiment is that the Pill will become obsolete as a product for desktop PCs.

Jim Allchin, group vice president of Microsoft Corp.'s Platforms Group, is scheduled to deliver one of the keynote addresses at IDF, a spot usually reserved for an Intel executive. While Microsoft's next-generation operating system Windows XP is scheduled for an early October launch, speculation in the media is that Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT) will make some early releases. Some industry analysts see Windows XP as a driver for PC demand in an environment of flat sales. Intel said in its last earnings call that it expects to see a seasonal uptick in demand for its products as a result of back-to-school sales and holiday season buying patterns.

While Intel will deliver its 2GHz message on Aug. 27, Paul Otellini, executive vice president of the Intel Architecture Group, will deliver the initial keynote speech on Aug. 28. Otellini will disclose Intel's vision of how the overall computing environment is evolving from both the consumer and the business perspective, according to Intel's Chandrasekher. Microsoft's vision of the evolution of home computing and enterprise business platforms is similar so Intel decided it would allow the software company to share the stage at IDF, according to an Intel spokesman.

Chandrasekher said that the company will be discussing some significant strategy directions on the first day of IDF. In addition, David Tennenhouse will talk about Intel's research and development efforts in a speech entitled, "The Evolution of Information Technology."

On Aug. 29, new generations of desktop platforms will be discussed by Louis Burns, a vice president in Intel's Architecture Group. Bums' talk is expected to touch further on the evolution of digital appliances for consumers and the build-out of the e-business infrastructure. Despite the slowdown in IT spending, Intel sees further investment in e-business platforms because the cost structures are still attractive to businesses, Chandrasekher said. Burns is also expected to talk about Arapahoe, or the new I/O standard being developed for PCs.

Frank Spindler, vice president of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group, will showcase a mobile P4 for the first time. Spindler will disclose details of product for mobile platforms, or Banias, which is set for release in 2003.

Ron Smith, senior vice president of Intel's Wireless Communications and Computing Group, is expected to reveal some industry endorsements of the company's Personal Client Architecture, which is Intel's cell phone and PDA development platform. In addition, Smith will provide some milestones on Intel's flash memory business.