“Sun Microsystems’ Solaris will become the third operating system to take advantage of Advanced Micro Devices’ 64-bit Opteron processor.
Solaris, Sun’s version of Unix, already runs on 32-bit “x86″ processors including AMD’s Athlon and Intel’s Xeon. But Sun also will release a version in 2004 that will take advantage of the 64-bit extensions that make Opteron different from those other chips, Sun software chief Jonathan Schwartz told reporters in a meeting here Thursday.” Read more at ZDNet.
I certainly hope that SUN will stand behind their AMD64 and Solaris x86 ports. If they remain focused on these products and broaden software/hardware support from vendors and the opensource community, this could prove to be a very good decision for SUN.
if Sun could do it soon and fast, then they will soon be seeing a ton of servers selling like hot cakes.
Imagine selling Linux on intel, solaris x86 on intel, amd, Solaris on Sparc, Opteron….
I think Sun is going to come back really strong and be able to soon replace HP and others. Maybe IBM will be the only one that it would have to fight then
Sun is hoping that Opteron will sink the Itanic. Having Solaris on Opteron is a tactical move that will keep Intel from penetrating further into Sun’s midrange and high-end servers. And, being at an obvious disadvantage in single processor performance, Sun will be able to offer a very powerful solution with the 64-bit Opteron systems.
This is a very good thing for Sun. I am excited!
I applaud any action that helps AMD take more market-share away from Intel. Thank you SUNW.
According the great prophet Richard M Stallman, SUN is dead. This information seems to directly contradict his assertations.
http://newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=03/10/02/1240243
They never released NeWS as an Openstandard, why is that?
I certainly hope that SUN will stand behind their AMD64 and Solaris x86 ports. If they remain focused on these products and broaden software/hardware support from vendors and the opensource community, this could prove to be a very good decision for SUN.
Well, know they have a focused path. Solaris for servers and Linux for desktops. Can’t get any simpler than that.
What I think you will see from SUN is a move what IBM has done, keep their own chip for the ultra high end, SPARC soon will be multicore and have SMT. For the low end, use AMD Opteron for servers up to around 8 way. With Solaris’s ultra-fine-grain locking and AMD’s performance delivered via hypertransport, we will see a huge increase in the number of AMD Opteron sales.
As for Itanium, AMD Opteron outsold Itanium CPU shipments within the first quarter of its release. That tells you something. People want IMPROVEMENTS on a current architecture, not a new architecture. People also want OPENSTANDARDS, the x86-64 specification, not some proprietary technology, that is, Itanium.
Running Itanium and Windows is WORSE than running a Mac. Not only do you have only one CPU vendor you also have an OS who’s whole API is non-openstandards based.
SUN learnt this leason long ago when when developed NeWS. The eventual winner was X, even though NeWS was a better system. They lost out because NeWS was a proprietary piece of technology and no one wanted one company to control a vital piece of technology.
Ever since they SUN has been vary warry about embracing things that are proprietary.
John Blink (IP: —.smelb1.vic.optusnet.com.au) – Posted on 2003-10-11 02:47:56
They never released NeWS as an Openstandard, why is that?
Good question, I don’t have the answer to that. Maybe it was too reliant on SunOS parts. Maybe a SUN employee can shead light on this.
While I still think SPARC to be a much more promising CPU line, Opteron is at the moment one of the most powerful 64 bit CPUs. Coupled with Solaris, we should see some fantastic midrange servers from Sun. Yes, I believe Sun is going to manufacture Opteron servers.
You heard it here first. Mark my words.
Where is SUN going? Can they keep developing for 4 platforms at the same time and speed. Some of you might think 4? Yes 4, Solaris for SPARC, Solaris for Intel 32 bit, Solaris for ADM 64 bit, Madhatter for Intel. Is it not more easy to change the whole business model to linux? I would bet on that horse.
Good luck Scot, what do you have on your desktop?
The Linux ground work is done by SuSE, and Solaris x86-64, SPARC and IA32 all spin off from the same source tree so there is no real “extra cost” involved except for the initial port.
Umh, the articel is from Eric S. Raymond. At least that’s what it says in the first line 😉
>>Where is SUN going? Can they keep developing for 4 platforms at the same time and speed. <<
How many platforms does IBM support? 24? In how many directions is HP going? 12? A lot of stuff is changing. How does a company take advantage of new oppertunities without abandoning it’s present technology? I guess these companies are forced to take off in new directions.
I don’t trust sunw’s stated x86 strategy. Sunw is saying they support linux on the desktop. But linux would compete with sunw’s own x86 solution, and sunw has been very cozy with scox.
How many platforms does IBM support? 24? In how many directions is HP going? 12? A lot of stuff is changing. How does a company take advantage of new oppertunities without abandoning it’s present technology? I guess these companies are forced to take off in new directions.
IBM has its Mainframe s390 and 900z. p series which runs Linux and AIX, and for their Intel, Linux and Windows. Considering that all the work for Linux, like Windows, is done by another company, it is pretty cheap offering more, especially when most of your revenue it derived from services. IIRC, around $10billion of IBM’s quarterly profit comes from their global services wing.
HP is retiring PA-RISC and Alpha in favour of Itanium. Itanium is going to replace the two, and OpenVMS, Linux, Windows and HP-UX will be offered for Itanium based servers and workstations.
It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has access to an Itanium machine loaded with OpenVMS.
I don’t trust sunw’s stated x86 strategy. Sunw is saying they support linux on the desktop. But linux would compete with sunw’s own x86 solution, and sunw has been very cozy with scox.
How does Linux compete with a solution that you made up? Solaris sucks huge rocks when run on a desktop. It is the equivilant of using a s390 mainframe operating system for general purpose desktop tasks.
Take my advice, don’t make another post until you have read books concerning Solaris x86. Once you have done that then you will realise how much Solaris sucks as a desktop solution. Archaic sound API, USB API to make even the most hardiest coder scream with shock and don’t me started on their X server which makes SGI’s implementation look ultra-super-duper modern.
Talk to *ANYONE* working at SUN, and the *LAST* thing they would push is Solaris as a desktop solution. Infact, they would go so far to suggest *WINDOWS* instead of Solaris as a desktop solution.
As for SUN and SCOX. Why do you make out that SUN has a cosie relationship with SCOX when SCOX is getting the stuffing kicked out of it by Solaris x86. OpenServer and UnixWare is getting the stuffing kicked out of it, and SUN simply bought some UnixWare code so that they can improve their UNIX offering.
SCO on the other hand need money to stay alive and a CEO who will get a bonus if the company survives 4 quarters. He will *ANYTHING* to make it possible, even sell IP to Microsoft and SUN knowing that both are going to kill off the business bit by bit. SUN on the x86 UNIX market and Microsoft on the POS market, which is dominated by OpenServer and Unixware. The dumb terminals may run DOS, WindowsCE or something else, but the heavy lifting is still done by an old crusty UNIX server sitting in the corner.
It isn’t that Solaris *COULDN’T* be a good desktop solution, it just hasn’t really been built for use on the desktop, the only thing that comes close is specific workstation configurations. The real point is not that it couldn’t be a desktop solution, rather that there is little point when Linux is geared towards desktop support with broad software and hardware support. Solaris x86 is specialized towards server tasks, it isn’t aesthetically pleasing but it is a workhorse. It definately makes sense to have Linux on the desktop and Solaris on servers.
It isn’t that Solaris *COULDN’T* be a good desktop solution, it just hasn’t really been built for use on the desktop, the only thing that comes close is specific workstation configurations. The real point is not that it couldn’t be a desktop solution, rather that there is little point when Linux is geared towards desktop support with broad software and hardware support. Solaris x86 is specialized towards server tasks, it isn’t aesthetically pleasing but it is a workhorse. It definately makes sense to have Linux on the desktop and Solaris on servers.
I agree with your comments, also, their Solaris SPARC *COULD* be used for the desktop *IF* SPARC stations were alot cheaper, that is, if the Blade 100 was priced around $699 and includes a screen, *THEN* it could be price compatitive with Wintel, however, since people have standardised on x86, and Solaris x86, the amount of money required ot get it up to speed in comparision to Linux really couldn’t be justified considering that there is a SYSV compatible operating system, Linux, with the mindshare and features already implemented.
SUN have already indicated that their main focus isn’t selling desktops or workstations. They’ll sell them but they aren’t SUN’s bread winner mainly because anything they will produce below a server would get trampled by Dell. Maybe in the future you may start seeing Opteron playing a larger roll in SUN’s product range.