Itanium Rising: Breaking Through Moore's Second Law of Computing Power

Foreword

Richard A. DeMillo, Vice President of Technology Strategy, Hewlett-Packard Company

The commercial success of technologies is always as much about sociology and economics as it is about physics and engineering. The pitch of a machine screw seems like a humble comparison to modern microprocessor technology, but a standard way to measure screw pitch meant that 19th century machine designers could concentrate on larger issues, such as power and efficiency. The wealth of the industrialized world in the 21st century owes much to a humble industry standard. Wherever there is a “golden age” in the build-out of an industry, standards and standard components play a key role. They allow innovative companies to flourish by adding value to the standard ...