Sun buys out Montalvo Systems

[Mechromancer]

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Infrastruct...-Chip-Company/

I read about this over at the Tech Report: http://www.techreport.com/discussions.x/14625

Sun may get an x86 license out of this and you know what that means. I hope they can license Hyper Transport from AMD. That shouldn't be a problem since thats part of AMD's business plan (Torrenza add in chips, etc.). I'd guess that we may see Sun x86 UltraSPARCs one day with 8 cores and 64 threads: http://www.sun.com/processors/UltraSPARC-T2/

Sun's "Hyper Threading" is on crack.

EDIT: Sun is already a member of the Hyper Transport Consortium

[Origin_Unknown]

sweet.... get some of these on WCG

[triple_A]

What does AMD's HT have to do with sun? Someone enlighten me

[G.Foyle]

the article at Eweek doesn't even mention x86 license.
Thay said

a semiconductor company that was looking to break into the x86 market

Sorry but every second semiconductor company looks to break into this market... they just cant. Way to make hype

[Mechromancer]

What does AMD's HT have to do with sun? Someone enlighten me

Sun lincensed the HT bus years ago. So long ago we all forgot (~2001 I think). Yes, I'm making a bit of hype by posting this news but this is reality. My point is IF Sun wanted to make an AM2+ or AM3 compatible x86 CPU to go along with some AMD chipset in the future, they legally could. AMD did the same thing back when they used Intel's sockets 5 through 7. Realistically though, it would take them years to design an x86 CPU, if they didn't already have a design made up in anticipation for this occasion. All I'm saying is the possibility, if not the capability, is there.

[Shintai]

Ye, wrong title and completely misunderstood subject.

Sun Microsystems is buying the technical assets of Montalvo Systems, a semiconductor company that was looking to break into the x86 market against the likes of Intel and Advanced Micro Devices.

And...

“The assets will be integrated into the Microelectronics business unit,” Dana Lengkeek, a Sun spokesperson, wrote in an e-mail. “We believe acquiring these assets will enhance the current and future products we are developing and expect them to contribute to future generations of Sun's microprocessor technology, which will in turn drive additional differentiation for Sun's Systems products.”

So lets cut the hype and BS before it runs lose ok?

There is no HT, there is no x86. Thats all a fantasy made story.

[Cooper]

What does AMD's HT have to do with sun? Someone enlighten me

HT is not AMD. It's an open industry standart.

http://www.hypertransport.org/

[Shintai]

Sun lincensed the HT bus years ago. So long ago we all forgot (~2001 I think). Yes, I'm making a bit of hype by posting this news but this is reality. My point is IF Sun wanted to make an AM2+ or AM3 compatible x86 CPU to go along with some AMD chipset in the future, they legally could. AMD did the same thing back when they used Intel's sockets 5 through 7. Realistically though, it would take them years to design an x86 CPU, if they didn't already have a design made up in anticipation for this occasion. All I'm saying is the possibility, if not the capability, is there.

They would make it with what licenses again? SUN would be sued to hell and forced to shutdown any x86 production so quick you wouldnt even see the first CPU.

[Origin_Unknown]

tbh - x86 licencing is BS.... anyone should be able to make cpu's, not who intel wants.

imagine if they licenced toasters and only one person made them?

[twilyth]

I thought AMD can make x86 compatible chips because they reverse engineered Intel chips fair and square. Intel tried to sue them into oblivion but lost because you can't stop somebody from inventing something that produces the same output as long as they don't steal your design.

edit - The point is, that anyone should be able to get into the x86 business without a license as long as they're willing to do the leg work. And I would assume that the same would apply to x86 emulation on a completely different kind of chip.

[Eson]

Not entirely correct; AMD produced meny of Intels earlier x86 processors and along the side they made pirate copies and later on their own designed processors.

[triple_A]

HT is not AMD. It's an open industry standart.

http://www.hypertransport.org/

ah, didn't know that.

[Cooper]

I thought AMD can make x86 compatible chips because they reverse engineered Intel chips fair and square. Intel tried to sue them into oblivion but lost because you can't stop somebody from inventing something that produces the same output as long as they don't steal your design.

edit - The point is, that anyone should be able to get into the x86 business without a license as long as they're willing to do the leg work. And I would assume that the same would apply to x86 emulation on a completely different kind of chip.

US army made a request for some parts and required additional resource - that's how AMD became x86 CPU architecture manufacturer

[stocius]

here we go again