“Prototypes of Merced still aren’t out, and it looks as if
Intel’s next-generation processor may slip until the third or
fourth quarter of next year.
Intel officially denies that Merced has been delayed. But
industry sources speculate that there may be a lag–which could put
off Merced’s release by a few weeks or even months… “
“…the revised calendar may sap Intel of some psychological
momentum and will likely solidify arguments that Merced, the first
Intel server and workstation processor designed to compete directly
against the most powerful Alpha and UltraSparc processors, will
primarily serve as a test vehicle. Customers and computer companies
may buy it, but they could hold off on migrating to Intel’s 64-bit
chips until McKinley, Merced’s successor, comes out in late
2001.”