The Microprocessor Report says that Intel’s seventh generation processor core, Willamette, is not due to ship until late 2000. The report notes it should have take three or four years to create Willamette following P6’s creation (Pentium Pro) which was introduced in 1995. It believes an on-time Willamette introduction has been sacrificed to the proliferation of P6 designs that Intel has supported for different markets (Klamath, Deschutes, Mendocino, Dixon, Katmai) as well as having the x86 team cross-check Merced’s design. Katmai, dubbed Pentium III for marketing purposes, is not a true seventh generation core, the report notes. It gives Advanced Micro Devices Inc about a year to try and press home an advantage with its K7 CPU. The report expects Intel to phase out the Pentium brand for two new brands for Willamette and Merced.
Content from our partners
