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• April 10, 2003 •
This week, Microsoft announced it is developing native 64-bit versions of its Windows® XP and Windows Server™ 2003 operating systems designed to support the upcoming AMD Opteron™ and AMD Athlon™ 64 processors. Microsoft is extending 64-bit support in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 to run natively on the upcoming AMD Opteron processor for servers and workstations and the upcoming AMD Athlon 64 processor for desktops and notebooks. Desktop and server beta releases are expected in the middle of 2003.
"We are pleased to help usher in a new era of business value by extending our ongoing investment in 64-bit computing to the AMD platform," said Brian Valentine, senior vice president of Microsoft's Windows Division. "Microsoft's 64-bit Windows operating systems represent an inflection point leading to higher performance and greater efficiency for businesses and consumers."
This announcement is seen as the culmination of years of work by Microsoft's David Cutler, a system architect, who is reported to be one of the biggest fans of the AMD chip. Cutler prefers the AMD Opteron, which provides 100 percent compatibility with the Intel x86 line, to the Intel Itanium, which provides a slower, emulated x86 environment for backward compatibility.
The 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 for the upcoming AMD Athlon 64 and AMD Opteron processors are designed for use on servers and high-end desktops and workstations. They are expected to increase the efficiency of many operations, including engineering and scientific projects, financial services, online transaction processing, data warehousing, digital content creation, video editing, advanced gaming, and computer-aided design.
