In my last article , I introduced the idea that Apple might port OS X to the Hammer core, and although initially flamed by some of the INQ readers, the idea has sparked quite a bit of excitement throughout our community.
More and more speculation over the Hammer and 64bit technology is what internet dreams are being made of. But let us not forget AMD's real nemesis in the form of lackluster OEM support, due to the strong arm of Intel. This is what I would like to philosophize upon today.
If AMD is going to do well with Hammer they will need major OEM support offering high-end desktop, mobile, and server kits. But AMD has not had such support from any OEM to date hear in the states or abroad.
The mobile market is probably the most noticeable to techies because we build our own desktop rigs, but notebooks are not that easy. You can find 16" TFT UXGA, 40 Gig HDD, 32MB Video, and a really cool design for the P4 and even the PIII, but you can't find such power in the form of an AMD kit. Why? Well not because AMD does not outperform the PIII and the P4, but rather due to "The friends money can buy" or moreover the fear.
So when AMD fires off the Hammer -- I like to think of it as the Athlon XP-64 myself -- what support will it have? Or will the OEMs wait for Intel to make their self known before bringing x86-64 to the general public?
News source: The Inquirer
