64-bit P4s on sale, HP : 3.4 and 3.6Ghz models

HP is selling 3.4 and 3.6Ghz 64-bit enabled P4s!!!

This confirms that P4 will get 64-bit support as soon (or as late, heh) as tomorrow.

However, if you do the math, the 3.2Ghz is 200 bucks cheaper than the 64-bit 3.4, and from pricewatch, the difference should only be ~$134. This suggests that a P4 3.4Ghz with EM64T enabled costs $66 more than the regular P4 550. This is directly from a workstation offering from <A HREF="http://h20204.www2.hp.com/dstore/MiddleFrame.asp?page=config&ProductLineId=433&FamilyId=1873&BaseId=12080&oi=E9CED&BEID=19701&SBLID=" target="_new">this link</A>. It could only be, however, that pricewatch has the 3.2Ghz and 3.4Ghz for a cheaper price than HP, so it could be wrong, but it's possible that 64-bit enabled P4s will get a price premium...

...I think this is <i>not</i> a good idea. Personally, If I were to buy a P4, I wouldn't settle for a P4 withOUT the 64-bit funtionality....

<i><font color=red>You never change the existing reality by fighting it. Instead, create a new model that makes the old one obsolete</font color=red> - Buckminster Fuller </i>

well thats only HP. if oyu look at Dell, any pcs wiht the new chips now have up to 8 week lead times to availability, and you would think Dell would have special access with thier relationship with intel. but HP seems to eb the only big retail group that has enough of the processors to sell now.

Also, where did oyu see on pricewatch listing for instock P4's with EM64T? I looked, I must have missed it.

I know...I've been wondering about that for a while now. Dell's supposed to be all buddy-buddy with Intel...yet Dell seems to be getting the short end of the Prescott supply stick lately. (Not that there's really a long end to that stick, mind you, unless you're content selling a lot of overheating 2.8GHz Celerons with razor-thin margins.)

Not sure what's up with that. Is Intel preemptively punishing Dell for something, like a perceived overinterest in AMD? Mind you, I'm not saying the recent Dell+AMD rumors are true, but what's to keep Intel from wondering?

Granted, this is probably not Intel's typical response--Dell usually uses the AMD crowbar to leverage even sweeter deals with Intel. OTOH, these are not typical times for Intel, and Craig "Iceman" Barrett is probably no longer in a position to hand out market incentives like candy.

Also, we should consider the IA64 partnership between Intel and HP. I imagine HP has bailed Intel's IA64 butt out of hot water a few times, even if HP <i>is</i> giving AMD64 more support than Intel would like.

<i>"Intel's ICH6R SouthBridge, now featuring RAID -1"

"RAID-minus-one?"

"Yeah. You have two hard drives, neither of which can actually boot."</i>

That was what I thought as well, but a price difference between a P4e and a xeon should come out to a lot more than $66.