Intel’s announcement that it would finally release its own 64-bit extension to developers next US fiscal quarter has raised eyebrows at rival chip-maker AMD. (Oh I donno… Seems like this baffles not just AMD, but also everyone else as well -Ed)

Craig Barrett, global CEO at Intel, claimed in his keynote at this week’s Intel Developer Forum in the US that the chip-making giant would finally ship 64-bit extensions in its 32-bit Xeon processors next quarter.

Barrett said that the next generation of its Xeon processors — slated for release next quarter — would have extensions that would allow developers to build 64-bit applications on the 32-bit processors. Such applications would be operable with Intel’s 64-bit, and help with porting applications from 32-bit to 64-bit platforms and vice versa.

However, rival chip-maker AMD began shipping its 64-bit compatible Opteron and Athlon chips last year.

John Robinson, Australia and New Zealand country manager for AMD, said his understanding was that the Xeon was only aimed at the server workstation end of the market. Conversely, AMD’s Athlon 64 products were aimed at the desktop and mobile space as well — an area which Robinson believed would sell well this year.

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News source: iTNews