AMD launched the Opteron processor 4 years ago. While today Opteron's power consumption is all the rave, the most innovative feature in 2003 was the ability to run 64-bit and 32-bit instructions in a single chip.

The Opteron forced Intel to go on the defensive. It contributed to the Itanium's failure in conquering the enterprise IT market and forced the chipmaker to essentially copy its much smaller competitor. It took Intel 3 years before it could stabilize the market share shift that this set off.

Enough reason for AMD to boast a little in this video about "Megahertzagovnia".

15 May 2007