Migrating To 64-Bit Computing May Not Be Easy, Says IBM

It may take a while before Intel and Hewlett-Packard will fully achieve the 64-bit computing dream since most applications at this time are designed for a 32-bit computing environment, according to IBM Corp.

Since 1994, both HP and Intel have committed to coming up with a 64-bit computing environment that they now call the "Itanium." While the
realization of this next-generation computing platform is close, IBM pointed out recently that it may take several more years before it becomes a reality.

In a press briefing this week, Dr. Frank Soltis, the chief scientist of IBM's AS/400, pointed out that migrating 32-bit applications to a 64-bit environment is not as simple as "recompiling" applications and dropping them into the new machines. Application developers need to
rewrite everything (which equals years of hard work) for the new computing environment.

"The 64-bit Unix operating system had been in the industry for years, but a few had been developed to run on this system," argued Soltis. Interestingly, he said that IBM was first to implement 64-bit on RISC (reduced instruction set computers) processors. RISC was invented by IBM in the 1970s.

In this situation, IBM claims that it had been running around 25,000 "programs" for a 64-bit technology on AS-400, which has been "rebranded" as "The Extreme Machine," since 1994.

Lately, Soltis indicated that there are plans to take 64-bit computing further. "There are plans of migrating to 128 bit, but IBM has chosen not to do this because some of our products like the RS-6000 are not yet ready for this type of computing platform," the chief scientist said.

Instead, IBM is looking at combining two 64-bit microprocessors into one system, thereby fulfilling the company's goals of creating powerful computing platforms.

Despite of all these developments, however, IBM has yet to convince customers to migrate to a new computing environment.

"We could have come out with the 64-bit technology way ahead (of competitors). But our customers did not need it back then," said Soltis. "For a technologist like me, I always want to say I'm the first in a certain technology. But if it has no use to customers, we would rather have to delay its release."

Also, IBM has to consider that some of its customers tend to look at technology from a business perspective, meaning investments on technology need to produce "tangible" returns on business.

Soltis is the man behind the architecture used today in IBM's AS-400. This architecture was first used in IBM's System/38. He is also an author of many books, including "Inside the AS/400," a book that takes a closer look at the design, architecture, and history of the latest AS/400e series of computers.

The chief scientist led the team that designed the PowerPC architecture. He also was the leader of the effort to move to the 64-bit PowerPC RISC processors. Currently, he is an adjunct professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota.

Reported by Newsbytes.com, http://www.newsbytes.com.