The Intel Developer Forum begins today in San Francisco with a packed Agenda. IDF features Keynotes, Special Attractions and many Sponsors & Exhibitors. C/Net has a rundown of IDF news.
Intel will offer a further glimpse into the future of its Itanium processor family, shining the spotlight on a new model code-named Poulson. Poulson is scheduled to succeed Tukwila, an Itanium processor due in 2007 that had previously been code-named Tanglewood.
The current Itanium processor is code-named Madison, explains C/Net. A new version code-named Montecito is expected to boost performance significantly at the end of 2005. Montecito has dual processing engines, or cores, and each core is able to process two simultaneous instruction sequences, called threads. Madison has a single core that executes a single thread.
The forum will be the first since Intel changed its corporate structure to create five divisions, into a mobility, digital enterprise, digital home, digital health, and channel products group. Intel s long-term goal of being a dominant player beyond the computer market prompted the reorganization.
In what is possibly his last presentation before he steps down in May to become chairman, Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett will give the opening keynote speech on Tuesday.
Most of the keynote speakers have been regulars at the three-day Intel Developer Forum at the Moscone Center West, but each will talk about the direction of the new divisions they head. Pat Gelsinger, Intel’s former chief technical officer, will talk about Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group.
Sean Maloney, who used to be in charge of the firm’s communications chip business, will describe Intel’s Mobility Platforms Group, which includes notebook PCs, cell phones and personal digital assistants.
Don MacDonald, who used to run Intel’s sales and marketing group, will talk about the firm’s visions for the Digital Home Group.
Some analysts say video-game consoles could play a key role in delivering digital entertainment beyond games to the living room.
Kevin Krewell, an analyst at InStat/MDR, said he expects the conference to have plenty of highly technical presentations to whet the appetites of hardware and software engineers.
Other highlights include:
- Nvidia will demonstrate its graphic chipsets for Intel-based computers on Tuesday, although the products are not likely to come out for a few more weeks.
- Extended Memory Technology, EMT64, and multi-core processors.
- Intel has introduced five processors for desktop computers using its Extended Memory Technology, EM64T, which supports hybrid 64-bit computing. Intel plans to ship EM64T on every forthcoming Intel desktop processor, including the Intel Celeron D processor lines due out later this year.
- Birds of a Feather sessions, during the Wednesday lunch hour, provide an opportunity to meet and talk with many of Intel s top technology experts.
The news isn’t all great. IBM is not only discontinuing support for Intel’s Itanium processor, it’s going a step further, dropping Itanium servers from the product line altogether, reports ZD Net. Intel hopes the Intanium 2 dual-core chip will rev Itanium sales. The company also may give its new dual-core mobile processor, Yonah, a spin in front of developers and analysts.
About 5,000 attendees are expected. Also, for the first time since the conference started eight years ago, the public will be able to see the showroom floor for free on Thursday between 10 a.m. and noon.
Barrett reiterated his company’s support for WiMax.
“I think WiMax is going to be a disruptive technology that’s going to change the way we think of mobile connectivity,” including mobile phones, Barrett said. “Hopefully, it will get us out of the half-assed broadband capability we have today in the U.S.”
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