When intel announced last week that the delivery of its dual-core Itanium would he delayed by three months, from the first quarter of 2006 to the middle of the second quarter, even the keenest ear could not discern the merest peep of disappointment. But if you listen just right, you can hear the chirping of the cell phones carried by AMD, IBM, and Sun Microsystems reps worldwide. The whole of the computing world isn't perched on the edge of its collective seat in anticipation of dual-core Itanium. But in the science, technology, supercomputing, and massive enterprise markets where pockets are bottomless, most applications are custom-written to standards, and the appetite for computing performance and throughput is insatiable. Every six- or seven-figure purchase order is an opportunity to identify and invest in the new leading edge; in many cases, getting the most firepower for the dollar is a purchasing imperative. A one-quarter delay for dual-core Itanium means that for three months, Intel and its Itanium-OEMs won't be at the table for high-performance computing purchases.
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