Okay, here's the thing. Sure, the P4 (Northwood, as the current incarnation of the P4 was DOA) might be able to scale up to 10GHz, but you have to remember, that current processing techniques don't allow for a die that small to be created. In order to do that, EUV has to be used, and while it was recently announced that the first prototype is built, it will be at least a few years before it is converted and used for fab plants. Yes, I understand that Moore's Law says this and Moore's Law says that, but you have to understand that it is really an average, and there will be times that it will go faster or slower than doubling every 18 months. In fact, Moore's Law probably would have been refuted if not for upstart AMD coming into the scene, providing much needed competition to Intel. Therefore, the P4 that hits 10GHz will most likely be as identical to the Northwood as a boy and a girl. Hey, they're the same species and can work together, but look, different parts! But seriously, it would, in my mind, be corporate suicide to try to stretch out a core for 5 years, like the Northwood would have to be in order to reach 10GHz. I mean, the P3 lasted, what, 2, maybe 3 years? To take the P4 out to 2006, when the makers of EUV expect the first 10GHz chip to be available, is kinda far-fetched. Plus, there might be some breakthrough in CPU logic by then that requires a reworking of CPU architecure.
The only reason why I can see Intel holding onto the P4 as long as that is that they wish to try to force people, mostly businesses, to build a machine that uses a dual mobo that has both a 32 and 64-bit processor. I mean, would you, as a consumer, really want to completely drop all your 32-bit apps, which work just fine, just so that you can run the one or two 64-bit app that you just got? I mean, it's another marketing move from Intel, if that is the case, and the P4 may have been designed specifically to run with a 64-bit processor no problem. Maybe that is why they ridicule AMD for making the Hammer, which has both 32 and 64-bit compatibility, they see it as a waste of money and a way to lose profit. So yeah, P4 may reach 10GHz, and that might be a plan, but it could be a conspiricy to squeeze a little more cash out of the consumers, or it just might be that they really expect the 32-bit apps to die off quickly after the first intro of 64-bit apps. But I really don't think that I would dump my 32-bit apps. I mean, I still use games and programs that were made to run with a Pentium 100... and I'm gonna run them on a 1.2 T-bird. Works for me, and I'm sure a lot of other people would not want to give up their old apps that they've grown to love and know.
Oh yeah, here's a link to EUV news:
<A HREF="http://
http://www.tomshardware.com/technews/technews-20010412.html " target="_new">http://
http://www.tomshardware.com/technews/technews-20010412.html </A>
-SammyBoy
Without Evil, there can be no Good. Therefore, without an Intel, there can be no AMD.
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